Hoot 2
by FanFictionFantasy
Summary: A sequal to Carl Hiaasen's book Hoot. UPDATE! Travis Bridger, John Kresc, Beatrice Leep and Roy Eberhardt are journeying to the hitech city of Earthopolis to save Mullet Fingers! R & R
1. Mullet Returns

**-I felt at a bit of a loss when I finished the actual book "Hoot" for the second time, so I decided to write a sequal to it since Carl Hiaasen hasn't done so. Please R and R everyone, hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any Hoot characters or other stuff, it's legal property of Carl Hiaasen or whoever would sue me for not putting this. And this applies for the whole story.**

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**Roy Eberhardt rode his bike past the burrowing owl sanctuary on the corner of East Oriole and Woodbury and stopped for a few minutes to see if the owls would come out. None did, of course, as it was a busy traffic day. Feeling slightly disappointed, Roy got back on his bike and rode off towards the junkyard. Occasionally he'd hope that the old Jo-Jo's Ice-Cream truck would be back there again, though it never was. Nor was it today as he rode by. It was a particularly hot last week of summer in Coconut Cove. Beatrice Leep had gone to some kind of camp for the summer, and Roy had reason to believe that she hadn't gone willingly. Roy's other friend, Garret, had gone to Hawaii, leaving poor Roy lonely and bored. The reason he had been biking past these all to familiar places almost everyday was that he had been hoping to catch a glimpse of his other friend, Napoleon Bridger Leep (better known as Mullet Fingers) who Roy was sure was still living in Coconut Cove. It had been almost a year since Roy had last seen Mullet Fingers. That was the day they had stopped the Mother Paula's All-American Pancake Company from burying the dens of the burrowing owls. Roy had been so exceedingly bored that he'd decided to revert back to his old habit of looking for his barefoot friend. Unfortunately, he hadn't had much luck. One particularly cold night about a month ago, he decided that he was so determined to find Mullet Fingers that he camped out all night at the owl sanctuary. He was driven home by old Officer David Delinko, who had happened to be driving by at one in the morning to find Roy running away from a violent looking racoon. He also made the mistake of not informing his parents of his stakeout. Mrs Eberhardt had gone into check on him at around eleven to find his bed empty, hence the reason why Officer Delinko was driving past the owl sanctuary at one in the morning. That was the last time Roy ever tried that. Roy was so deep in thought, remembering that hectic night, that he accidentally rode right into a shabby looking man with messy grey hair and familiar sunglasses. Roy knocked him down, causing him to drop a bag he was carrying. He immediately recognized the man as Chuck Muckle, former big shot of the Mother Paula's company. Roy hoped off his bike to pick up the bag he had caused Muckle to drop. 

"Sorry." he said, peering into the bag. It contained broken glass, nails, rat traps and some needles.

"Thank-_you._" Said Muckle, snatching the bag away from Roy.

Before Roy had a chance to ask what all that stuff was for, Chuck Muckle was already halfway down the road.

Finally, some excitement, thought Roy.

He waited until Muckle was a little ways ahead of him, then followed. He tailed Muckle all the way to a run down house that slightly resembled that of Dana Matherson's. He watched from behind a bush as Chuck Muckle scattered the glass, nails and pins all over the lawn. He then put the rat traps under the windows. Suddenly, Roy noticed that the windows of Chuck Muckle's house were spray painted black. A smile spread across Roy's face. It looked as though Mullet Fingers had been keeping busy. Roy knew that glass and nails wouldn't stop Mullet Fingers, he would only take it as a challenge. Muckle was muttering angrily to himself as he went into the house and slammed the door behind him. Roy looked around the area, half hoping that Beatrice's stepbrother was still around. He wasn't of course. He was probably long gone. Roy remembered how fast Mullet Fingers was running the first time he had seen him. After a few moments of basking in good memories, Roy got back on his bike and began to head home. He found a postcard from Hawaii when he got home, from Garret of course, saying that he wished he'd brought his skateboard as there were some 'gnarly' jumps in Hawaii and that he got in trouble for making a fake fart noise at his uncle's wedding. There was also a letter from Trace Middle School which contained a newsletter, an outline of the school year and a list of required supplies. Roy was actually looking forward to going back to school, believe it or not. Summer was just no fun without his friends. Roy got into bed that night and lay in bed wondering if Mullet Fingers was messing around at Chuck Muckle's house tonight. Roy wondered if he would dare a quick bike ride over there to find out. He opened the door and peered out. The house appeared to be deserted. He closed his door again, threw on some clothes and crept out the window and onto his bike. He then sped off towards Chuck Muckle's run down house. When he got there, he found it to be pitch black as there were no street lamps on this road. He got off his bike and crept over to what he expected was a dead bush. It wasn't. As soon as Roy had snuck up behind it, the bush whirled around and smacked him in the face.

"Ouch!" Said Roy.

"Who are you? Why are you sneaken up on me?" The dead bush, who was actually a person, demanded.

"I'm sorry, I was just looking for someone." Said Roy, struggling to get up, but the person got up and put one foot on his chest.

It was a dirty barefoot. Suddenly, Roy realized who it was.

"Mullet Fingers?" He asked. The weight on Roy's chest seemed to decrease.

"Tex? That you?" He asked.

"Yeah!" Said Roy excitedly, leaping to his feet once Beatrice's stepbrother released him "What are you doing out here?" Roy added.

"Uh, no comment." He said playfully.

"C'mon." Said Roy.

"Oh alright, that jerk Muckle's been around with the owl sanctuary, so I've been messing around with his house." Said Mullet Fingers quietly.

"What've you done tonight?" Roy asked, half worriedly.

"Tonight? Nothing...yet. I'm waiting for Muckle to go out, he always does around now. There he goes, look!" Exclaimed Mullet Fingers as Chuck Muckle himself emerged from the house and walked over to a car which Roy was surprised to see start.

The two boys waited for Muckle to drive off before they spoke again. "Tonight," said Mullet Fingers, getting back to his feet ", I'm going into his house. I wanna see what he's up to."

"What? No, you can't! That's breaking and entering, you'll be thrown back in juvie!" Exclaimed Roy worriedly, even though he knew there was no chance of changing his mind.

"You comin?" He asked Roy.

Sure, why not? Thought Roy. There was no way he could stop Mullet Fingers, and he _did_ want to know what Muckle was up to. "Ok." He said.

They began to creep across the yard, when suddenly Roy remembered the glass that Muckle had spread out over the lawn and grabbed his friend's shoulder. "Wait, there's glass in the grass." Said Roy, though he thought he should have rephrased that seeing as it sounded funny.

Mullet Fingers laughed. "So? I've walked through worse." He said.

"Why didn't you wear those sneakers I gave you?" Roy demanded.

"Uh...that's a long story." Said Mullet Fingers.

And indeed it was. During a fight he had with his mother, Lonna, the day he was shipped off to juvie, Napoleon Bridger pulled the sneakers that Roy had given him off and used one to smash the windows of his mother's car with and then threw them both at his mother's bedroom window. He later heard from Beatrice that Lonna had burned the sneakers with the idea in her head that her son wouldn't run away again without any shoes. Little did his mother know, Napoleon Bridger hardly ever wore shoes. It just went to show how much attention Lonna paid to her son. When Mullet Fingers finished telling this story, he was already halfway across the lawn before Roy could get over how Lonna had paid so little attention to her son that she didn't even know he never wore shoes.

"Hey, wait for me!" Roy shouted as Mullet Fingers was already popping the sliding door off it's slide on Chuck Muckle's house.

Roy remembered Beatrice had done this about a year before and suddenly realized where she must have learned it. The two boys crept into Muckle's dark house. Roy went to put a light on but Mullet Fingers stopped him.

"The neighbors around here are pretty nosy, if they see a light on while Muckles out, they'll likely tell him about it in the morning." He explained.

Mullet Fingers knocked a few pictures off the walls, shredded a few important looking papers, then went over to Muckle's computer and said "Hey, Roy, come show me how to work this thing."

Roy went over and showed Mullet Fingers how to work the mouse and the keyboard. When Roy jiggled the mouse, the screen flashed on and showed an Internet page open on the screen.

**Burrowing Owls:**

**Natural Predators**

**The burrowing owl has many predators including: **

**Badgers, foxes, skunks, weasels, raccoons, and snakes.**

This page was also sitting, printed, on the desk with the words 'snakes' and 'foxes' highlighted. Mullet Fingers had already figured out what was going on and was so angry that he lifted up Muckle's computer and hurled it across the room. It smashed against the wall.

"What are you doing?" Hissed Roy, looking at the smashed computed monitor.

"HE'S TRYING TO KILL THE OWLS AGAIN! HE'S GOING TO SET THOSE ANIMALS LOOSE IN THE SANCTUARY!" Mullet Fingers bellowed back.

He stormed across the room and knocked several shelves over. Roy was about to grab him and force him to sit down, then remembered that Mullet Fingers was about twice as strong as him and instead reached out and put his hand on his shoulder.

"We don't even have proof yet, you've gotta calm down. You're over reacting." Said Roy calmly.

"I ain't over reacting." He snapped "An what do you mean we haven't got proof? You saw that paper!"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean anything. Listen, why don't we just go over to the owl sanctuary and see if anything's wrong." Said Roy.

Mullet Fingers was silent for a few moments. Roy was all too familiar with Mullet Fingers's habit of jumping to conclusions and causing strife.

"Yeah. Alright, let's do that." He said.

He and Roy went out to Roy's bike. Roy instructed him to get on the handlebars and received a look from Mullet Fingers that clearly said "You've gotta be kidding."

Five minutes later, Roy found himself sitting on the handlebars of his own bike while Mullet Fingers peddled like mad. Ten minutes past and there they were on that all to familiar corner of East Oriole and Woodbury. A nearby street lamp lit the empty lot that was the owl sanctuary. The two boys walked onto the lot, Mullet Fingers was scavenging the area like a bloodhound. They spend almost a half hour searching the lot until finally Mullet Fingers said: "Well, Tex, I guess you're right. Sorry I kinda freaked out back there."

"No sweat." Roy replied.

"Well, I'd better get going. I'll catcha later, Tex." Said Mullet Fingers as he turned to leave the lot.

"Hey wait," Called Roy "Where've you been sleeping?"

Mullet Fingers stopped and turned around. "I've been getting around." He said confidently.

"You don't have anywhere to go at all, do you?" Roy asked. He knew Mullet Fingers would never admit he didn't have a place to go "Listen, come stay at my place. At least for the weekend. I'll bet my room beats the ground anyway."

Mullet Fingers took a moment to think about this, then said "Sure, I guess. I have gotten tired of waking up to dirt and branches every morning."


	2. House Guests

**-Here's chapter 2 everyone. Hope you enjoy! and please please please review:P**

Roy and Mullet Fingers crept through Roy's bedroom window at the Eberhardt household and into Roy's pitch black bedroom. Roy turned on a light and pulled a blanket off his bed.

"You can take the bed and I'll sleep on the floor" Said Roy "And don't argue about it because I'm sure it's been ages since the last time you slept on a comfy bed." He added as Mullet Fingers opened his mouth to protest.

"Well, yeah I guess. You can't exactly call the bed Lonna let me sleep on comfy. You sure you don't mind sleepin on the floor?" He asked, looking longingly at the bed.

"Course not. My parents are going away for the long weekend and I'm staying here by myself so you're welcome to hang here 'till Tuesday." Said Roy.

Mullet Fingers looked as though it was Christmas come early.

"Really?" He asked.

"Sure, I could use the company anyway." Said Roy happily "My parents don't usually check in either, so don't worry." He added as Mullet Fingers looked uneasily at the door.

After that, both boys went to sleep quite quickly. It seemed like only minutes had passed when Roy awoke to his mother shouting "Roy, breakfast is in five minutes honey!" From the kitchen.

Roy sat up and looked around. The bed was empty. For a moment, his heart sank. He'd been looking forward to spending the weekend with Mullet Fingers.

Then: "Morning sleepy head." Came a voice from the windowsill.

Mullet Fingers was sitting up in the window looking down at Roy.

"How long have you been up?" Roy asked.

"'Bout an hour. I'm used to getting up early. Hey, I don't mean to sound rude but is there any chance of getting me some breakfast?" He asked hopefully.

"Sure, I'll bring you up some in about half an hour, ok?" Said Roy.

Beatrice's stepbrother nodded. He turned away while Roy changed out of his pajamas. Roy told him to wait here while he ate breakfast and that he'd sneak some leftovers up afterwards. He entered the kitchen to find his father reading the morning paper and his mother cooking breakfast. It looked like bacon and eggs.

Mullet'll like that Thought Roy as he sat down at the table.

"Morning, Roy." Said Mr Eberhardt over the newspaper.

"Morning dad." Said Roy.

"You weren't sneaking out again last night, were you, son?" Mr Eberhardt asked.

Roy tried to look confused. "No, why?" He asked.

"Oh no reason, I thought I heard some noises last night." Said his father.

"Nope, not me." Said Roy as Mrs Eberhardt placed his breakfast down in front of him.

"Have you heard from your friend Beatrice's stepbrother lately, Roy?" His father asked suddenly.

Roy nearly choked on a piece of bacon.

"No, why?" He asked.

"Well it says here that he's a possible suspect in some vandalism being done recently." Said Mr Eberhardt, still reading the article.

"What?" Roy asked.

"Listen: 'Police suspect one Napoleon Bridger Leep as the possible perpetrator of recent vandalism done to the home of former Mother Paula's employee, Chuck E. Muckle. Leep, a boy of 16, broke out of juvenile hall last year after committing vandalism on private property and so forth.' And it goes on about the boys history." Concluded Mr Eberhardt.

"But I thought he got off. They didn't charge him for the vandalism because he was right." Said Roy.

"It was still vandalism all the same. So I'm guessing you haven't heard from him, then?" Roy's father asked.

Roy shook his head. "No."

Roy finished his breakfast quickly then snuck some leftovers up to his room while his parents did the dishes. He went in to find Mullet Fingers fast asleep on his bed. Roy assumed he hadn't had a good sleep in a long time. Roy prodded him awake and said "Breakfast is here."

At this, Mullet Fingers sprang up and rubbed his stomach. Roy noticed he still had a scar from where he was bitten by a guard dog while trying to feed the burrowing owls a year ago. Roy handed him the plate and he immediately started stuffing his face.

"Who cood dis?" He asked, his mouth full.

"My mom." Roy replied.

Mullet Fingers swallowed and said "Mm, she's a good cook."

"My parents don't leave for another hour so you'll have to stay up here." Said Roy.

He took another huge mouthful of bacon and eggs and said "Mind if I go for a run? I usually go everyday."

"Sure." Said Roy.

Mullet Fingers finished his breakfast, then went out for a run around town. Roy took the empty plate downstairs and snuck it into the dishwasher without his parents noticing. A little while later, a cab pulled up outside to pick up Mr and Mrs Eberhardt.

"Now Roy, don't get into any sort of trouble while we're gone, alright?" He father said sternly.

"I love you honey." Said Roy's mother.

"I love you too mom." Said Roy, hoping Mullet Fingers wasn't listening from upstairs.

"The number of the hotel we're staying at is by the phone, so call if you're having any problems." Said Mr Eberhardt.

"I will dad. Bye guys." He said, ushering them out the door.

His mother kissed him a few more times then got into the cab drove off. As soon as they were out of sight, Roy went upstairs. Mullet Fingers wasn't back yet. Roy went back downstairs and flipped on the TV. The first thing he saw was a Mother Paula's commercial. The new actress that the company had hired appeared to have no acting talent at all. Apparently, the company had gone downhill since Kimberly Lou Dixon, the former Mother Paula actress, had quit. When word spread that the company was going to kill all those burrowing owls many people had stopped eating there. In fact, Mother Paula's had closed a total of fifty pancake houses in the last year due to poor profit. Roy continued flipping through the channels. He spent almost half and hour looking for a good show before he gave up and went back to his room. Mullet Fingers was still not back. It had started raining ten minutes ago, Roy expected he would have come back by now. Another thirty minutes. Roy had slumped down on the couch. Mullet Fingers must've just stayed for breakfast. Roy, however, was worried. He put on his raincoat, got on his bike and went out searching for Mullet Fingers. The first place he went was Chuck Muckle's house. He saw Officer Delinko's squad car parked in the driveway, but no Mullet Fingers. Roy sped up on his bike, not wanting to run into Officer Delinko. He biked around town for a bit, then went to the owl sanctuary. He parked his bike and walked around the empty lot. He couldn't blame the owls for not being out. He walked up to one of the holes and looked down. He saw two barefoot prints in the mud. There were similar prints all over the lot.

"Nap- Mullet Fingers?" Roy called, almost shouting Mullet Finger's real name, which he wouldn't like at all.

No reply. It was really pouring now. Roy got back on his bike and went home. When he got inside, he saw muddy wet foot prints trailing across the living room and up the stairs. Roy followed them all the way into his room, where he found Mullet Fingers kneeling down beside his bed. And there, curled up on his bed were ten burrowing owls. Mullet Fingers turned around. He was panting. He had several bad scratches on his arms and his lip was bleeding.

"I...was...right. Muckle was...trying to...kill the owls." He panted.

He pointed at one particularly small owl. It had a white cloth tied around it's body. Roy noticed that one of Mullet Finger's sleeves had been torn.

This was going to be a long weekend, thought Roy.


	3. Muckle's In Trouble

**-Not much to say this time, I know the plot isn't going very far now but it will, don't worry. Please Review!**

"Tell me again what happened?" Roy asked as he dabbed disinfectant on Mullet Finger's wounds.

"Alright, I stopped in to visit the owls as I was running by, like I always do, what I was jumped by a big fox." Explained Mullet Fingers.

"How do you know it was a fox?" Roy asked.

Mullet Fingers winced as Roy dabbed the disinfectant on. Both boys were hoping the scratches weren't infected.

"The thing was attacking me, man, I'm pretty sure I could tell what it was. So anyways, I knew it had been set loose by Muckle, cause I saw him carrying a cage into his house the other night, so I rounded up all the owls and ran back here." Mullet Fingers said.

Roy quickly finished cleaning up Mullet Finger's wounds. As they left the washroom, Mullet Fingers began to go towards the front door.

"Where're you going?" Roy demanded.

"Relax, I'm just going to get my stuff, I left it in the woods at the golf course and I don't want it to get soaked." Said Mullet Fingers.

Roy debated letting him go out again for a moment. He couldn't exactly put the kid under house arrest.

"Okay, but you aren't going to Muckle's house," said Roy.

"Fine."

", or taking any detours,"

"Alright!"

"And could you at lease put some runners on? You could get really sick running around barefoot in this weather." Said Roy.

Mullet Fingers smiled and shook his head. "Honestly, man, sometimes you sound so much like my sister, it's scary." He said as he walked out the door.

Chuck Muckle sat in his office, looking angrily at his trashed house. Officer Delinko had been no help at all, Muckle could tell he wasn't really writing anything down when he was supposed to be taking notes. He was awaiting the arrival of a large Boa Constrictor, which he planned to release in the owl sanctuary if the fox didn't take care of everything. Suddenly, his telephone rang. He answered.

"Hello?" He said.

"Can the small talk, Muckle, are those owls dead yet?" Snapped a voice on the other end.

The man Chuck Muckle was talking to was the vice-president of the entire Mother Paula's company. His name was James Howan and Muckle found him to be much worse than he ever was when he worked for Mother Paula's.

"I don't know yet, sir, I haven't been over since the other night." Said Muckle, trying to contain his anger. He finally realized that it wasn't fun being on the receiving of any angry Mother Paula's big shot.

"Why not? Am I not having you paid to rid Coconut Cove of those wretched owls? _Why aren't you answering me Mr Muckle?_" Sneered Howan.

"Please, Mr Howan, don't worry about a thing. I'm having the owls taken care of as we speak." Said Muckle, trying very hard to keep his voice steady.

"Mr Muckle, I called you over two weeks ago to ask you if you would get rid of those owls. You accepted. You know what is on the line here, Mr Muckle. Now tell me, _why is it taking so damn long?_" Snapped Howan furiously.

"There aren't any problems, Mr Howan, just that stupid kid messing around again." Said Muckle.

"What's the boy's name?" Demanded Howan.

Muckle picked up and old newspaper article off his desk and read the name out. "Leep. Napoleon Bridger Leep." Muckle recited.

"Leep. Alright. Let us at Mother Paula's take care of the delinquent. _You_ work on getting rid of those owls. Allow me to remind you, Mr Muckle, that if this goes smoothly you'll have your job back before you can say key-lime pancake." Said Howan before hanging up.

"Easier said than done." Muttered Muckle as he put the phone back on the receiver.

"...yeah mom, everything's going fine." Roy waved at Mullet Fingers who had just opened the front door and crept inside.

"I know, I'll make sure to eat a big dinner." Said Roy into the telephone "No, I'm not planning on going out, not in this weather. Alright, bye."

Roy hung up the phone as Mullet Fingers put his bag of clothes down. "Who was that?" He asked.

"My mom. Their flight's been delayed because of the weather." Said Roy.

Mullet Fingers suddenly looked worried. "They aren't coming home are they?" He asked, his voice suddenly turning to that worried and serious tone.

"No, course not. When my dad is going on a trip he gets there no matter how long he has to wait." Said Roy calmly.

Mullet Fingers looked slightly relieved. "How're the owls?" He asked.

"Fine, I found some meat in the fridge that I gave them, though I think they'd prefer bugs." Said Roy.

Beatrice's stepbrother proceeded towards the front door. "I'll go catch them some." He said.

Roy leapt up and pulled him back inside. "They'll be fine until the rain lets up. Why don't you got freshen up? There's a shower in the bathroom upstairs." Said Roy.

He knew that, to Mullet Fingers, a shower was irresistible. He ran his hand through his grimy blond hair and looked down at his extremely muddy feet. "Yeah, I guess I could use a shower." He said.

So Mullet Fingers went upstairs to take a shower while Roy sat down on the couch again, unsure of what to do, dreading the moment the rain stopped. For as soon as it did, he knew Mullet Fingers would try to take revenge on Chuck Muckle for letting the fox loose at the owl sanctuary. Roy suddenly wondered if Beatrice was back from camp yet. He was sure she would've called by now if she was. For a moment, Roy considered calling the Leep household and asking for her, then thought logically. The first thing Beatrice would do upon getting back would be to go see her stepbrother. And when she couldn't find him, she'd ask Roy if he knew where he was. Therefore, Beatrice could not be back yet, seeing as she hadn't called Roy at all. Roy flipped on the TV again, but still found nothing of interest. He turned the TV off and went to check up on th owls. All ten of them were nestled tightly together on Roy's bed. They had eaten all the meat he had left out for them. As he watched the burrowing owls sleep, he started to really think about what was going on. Why would Chuck Muckle be trying to kill the owls. Wasn't that the very reason he'd los t his job at Mother Paula's in the first place? Roy went back downstairs and found that the bag of clothes Mullet Fingers had brought back had fallen from the table he'd put it on and the clothes were all over the floor. Roy was picking them up and putting them back in the bag. He took noticed to several things. One, all the clothes were exceedingly dirty and didn't look very healthy to wear. Two, Mullet Fingers only had one pair of long pants, and they were his torn up pair of blue jeans that certainly wouldn't keep him warm in the rain. And three, there were still no shoes or socks at all. Roy would've put Mullet Finger's clothes in the washing machine, the only problem was, he didn't know how to work it and would likely end up ruining the clothes completely. Roy took the clothes into the guest room, which was mainly a storage room with a bed and some boxes. Hey took the boxes off the bed and stacked them in the corner, then put some bed sheets on the bed and made it up for Mullet Fingers. He then proceeded to going through one of the boxes he'd stacked in the corner and found an old dog bed for a dog the Eberhardts had once owned. He took it upstairs to his room and carefully picked up each of the owls and put them neatly in the bed. The owls were not to impressed, not that they didn't like the bed but owls don't generally like being picked up and moved twice in one day.

"Sorry guys." Roy said to the angry owls as he put the last one in the bed.

_Coo-coo!_ Exclaimed the largest one.

It was clearly trying to frighten Roy off. Roy made himself look frightened and backed slowly out of the room. The large owl looked very triumphant. A few minutes later, Mullet Fingers emerged from the shower and went down to the guest room where he put on his torn up blue jeans and his red jersey. Roy noticed that Mullet Finger's hair looked much different when it was combed back.

"When's Beatrice going to be back?" Roy asked as he made lunch.

Roy had never been a very good cook.. He had tried making chicken noodle soup using his mother's recipe but that turned into a disaster so Roy decided to clean out the pot and make Macaroni and Cheese instead. Mullet Fingers devoured the mac and cheese as though he hadn't eaten in years. He had three helpings.

"I dunno, sometime this week I think. Lonna made her go to it, some kind of special anger management course. Bea was furious. You shoulda been there." Said Mullet Fingers, cramming his mouth with a fourth helping of mac and cheese.

"Were you there?" Roy asked.

"Yeah, she practically begged me not to come and interfere when Lonna was taking her. I did anyways though. After Lonna came back, I hijacked her car and drove it into a lamppost." Mullet Fingers said as though this was something that people often did.

"Didn't you get hurt?" Roy asked,

"Nah, I jumped out at the last minute." Said Mullet Fingers.

He wanted a fifth helping of macaroni but unfortunately Roy didn't make enough. It was late afternoon now and the rain still showed no sign of letting up. At one point, the door began knocking. Mullet Fingers went and hid in the guest room while Roy answered it. It none other than Officer Delinko whose patrol car had just happened to break down right outside of Roy's house.

"Gee that was a stroke of luck, eh? Of all the places my car could break down." He said as Roy offered him a seat while he went to get the phone so that Officer Delinko could call a tow-truck.

"So, I hear your parents are out of town this weekend." He said conversationally as Roy brought the phone to him.

"Yeah." Said Roy unenthusiastically.

Roy assumed that his father must have mentioned to Officer Delinko that they would be out of town for the weekend and asked him to check up on Roy.

After calling for a tow-truck, Officer Delinko hung up the phone and started making unwanted conversation again.

"So I guess you haven't heard from that friend of yours, then? Napoleon Bridger? No, I thought not, seeing as your father's in law enforcement. Here I was thinking that kid was all right, then he goes and starts vandalizing property again." Said Officer Delinko.

At that moment, there was a loud thump coming from the guest room. Officer Delinko jumped up and had his hand on his gun when Roy said quickly "That's uh, that cat! He usually knocks things over. Calm down in there - uh- Fluffy!" Roy added, banging on the wall.

"You sure?" The police officer asked.

"Yeah, it's fine, don't worry. Oh look, isn't that the tow-truck?" Said Roy, pointing out the living room window.

"Oh, so it is. Well, thanks for letting me use your phone Roy. Feel free to give me a call if you have any trouble, you know where to reach me, right?" He asked.

"911?" Roy guessed.

"You got it." Said Officer Delinko before departing.

Roy closed the door behind him and let out a great sigh. Mullet Fingers came out of his room. "What were you doing in there?" Hissed Roy.

Mullet Fingers looked angry. "He was saying I messed up Muckle's house!" He exclaimed.

"You _did_ mess up Muckle's house." Roy pointed out.

"Yeah but I had a good reason! Ah well, it doesn't matter. The cop bought your story, eh? Ya know, maybe I should just take the owls and go. I shouldn't have gotten you involved again." He said darkly.

"Wait, just tell me what's going on, okay? What's the real reason you've been messing with Muckle's house?" Roy asked quickly.

Mullet Fingers looked frustrated. "I told ya, Tex, Muckle's been trying to hurt the owls! What else do you want me to tell you?" He snapped.

Roy opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment a loud rapping came from the door. Mullet Fingers ran upstairs as Roy went to answer it. Maybe Officer Delinko was back. He opened it to find Beatrice Leep standing in the doorway.

"Hiya cowgirl. You seen my brother lately?" She asked, showing herself in.

"Uh, yeah he's upstairs with the owls." Said Roy.

"He's _what?_" Beatrice snapped.

"It's a long story." Said Roy, taking Beatrice upstairs.


	4. Kidnaped

"Are you out of you mind? Bringing to owls to Roy's house? What is wrong with you?" Beatrice shouted at Mullet Fingers.

"That's fox was attacking them, what was I supposed to do?" Mullet Fingers retorted.

"Hm, I don't now, why not _get rid of the fox!_" Beatrice raged.

"Guys, guys! Calm down, alright?" Roy intervened as Mullet Fingers opened his mouth to shout back "Beatrice, it's alright, Mullet's staying here for a few days, my parents won't be home until Tuesday anyway, we'll just have to resolve this before then."

"And then what? We through the owls out?" Snapped Mullet Fingers.

"_You're_ the one who took them from their home in the first place." Beatrice pointed out.

"Will you two just please stop fighting? If the neighbors hear shouting they may call the police and that's the last thing we want right now." Roy said.

"Bea, I'm handling it, ok? Don't worry. Tex won't get in trouble." Said Mullet Fingers.

"It's not him I'm worried about." Said Beatrice.

Mullet Fingers rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine too." He said.

His stepsister eyed him for a moment, then turned to Roy. "I've gotta go, make sure he doesn't get himself into any trouble alright?" She said sternly.

"Got it." Said Roy.

Beatrice gave her stepbrother another look of disapproval before bidding farewell to Roy and leaving.

"She's just sour cause I'm stayin with you and not her." Said Mullet Fingers.

"But she knows you can't stay with her, Lonna would ship you off to juvie again." Said Roy.

"That's exactly what I just said. Anyways, what's for dinner?" He asked rubbing his stomach.

"Didn't you eat enough at lunch?" Roy asked.

"Tex, I've been living on people's garbage for the past two months, I'm famished!" Said Mullet Fingers.

"Fine, fine. And it's _Roy_ by the way." He always had to remind him that.

"Hey, that's the name you told me when I first met you, it's written in my head." Said Mullet Fingers, shrugging.

"Ok fine, _Napoleon Bridger_." Said Roy with a smirk.

Mullet Fingers scowled. "Alright, alright. You win, _Roy_." He said before departing to the kitchen.

Roy followed him down and went through the cupboards.

"Do you mind hot dogs?" Roy asked.

"I don't mind anything." Said Mullet Fingers.

Roy cooked several hot dogs for he and Mullet Fingers. "So what do you plan on doing about Muckle?" Roy asked while they ate.

"Ok, you know that crappy car of his? First, I'm gonna de-inflate all the tires. After that, I'll spray paint his windows black again, you should've seen his reaction the first time." Mullet Fingers said in an unnecessary undertone.

Roy knew he should try and stop his friend, but also knew he couldn't. "When are you going?" Roy asked.

"Right after we finish eating. I should be back around midnight." He said.

It was still pouring rain. Roy decided if he couldn't change Mullet's mind, he'd at least try to stop him from getting a cold.

"Can you at least wear some sneakers? Your sister'll kill both of us if you end up in the hospital again." Said Roy.

"And what happens if Muckle comes out and finds me? I can run way faster barefoot than in sneakers, haven't you ever tried it?" Mullet Fingers asked.

Roy hadn't. "But there's glass all over his lawn!" Roy pressed.

Mullet Fingers shrugged with one shoulder. "I told you, I've walked through worse." He said as his scarfed down his last hot dog.

"I'll be fine, don't worry. See ya in a bit." Said Mullet Fingers as he got up from the table and departed.

Meanwhile, outside Chuck Muckle's house, a black van was parked. Two men dressed in black sat inside. Some may say they were the F.B.I. but they actually worked under James Howan in the Mother Paula's company. One of them had a headset on. They waited silently in the car. Ten minutes passed. Then, they saw it. The black silhouette of a teenager, barefoot, about five foot eleven. He was creeping over to Muckle's house. One of the men pressed the headset to his mouth.

"We have a visual, Mr Howan." He said quietly.

"Good. Move in." Came Howan's voice.

The van started as the other man moved towards the back and stood by the back door. The van drove across the street and slowed as it passed the boy. The man in the back opened the door, grabbed the teenager, pulled him in and sped off. The struggling teenager's hands and feet were tied and his mouth was taped shut. The driver pressed the headset closer to his mouth again.

"We've got him, sir." He said.

"Excellent. I'm already on my way to the nearest Mother Paula's corporate building, get there quickly. Don't be seen." Howan ordered.

The man in the back injected the boy with some kind of drug that immediately made him stop struggling and pass out.

Vice-President of the Mother Paula's company, James Howan, sat at his desk, awaiting a call. And then it came, the phone began to ring.

"Mrs Leep?" Howan answered.

"That's right. What's this I hear about my son?" A woman's voice snapped.

"It has come to my attention, Mrs Leep, that you have been trying to rid yourself of your son for the past few years, correct?" Howan asked.

"What's it to you?" Lonna Leep asked.

"As you know, your son has caused a lot of trouble with the Mother Paula's company in the past year. I, being the vice-president of the Mother Paula's corporation, have a proposition for you." Said Howan.

"I'm listen'n." Said Lonna.

"Mrs Leep, what would you say if I told you that you would never have to worry about your nuisance of a son ever again?" Howan asked.

"I'd say you was a genius, but I tell ya there ain't nothing or no one who can control that kid." Said Lonna.

A smirk curled on Howan's face. "Rest assured, Mrs Leep, _I _can. I just need your consent to go to any lengths necessary." Said Howan hopefully.

"Course you got my consent. I don't care what you do to that kid s'long as you keep him outta my hair." Said Lonna.

A grin had now broken out on Howan's face. "So I've got your full support on this?" He asked.

"That's what I just said ain't it?" Lonna snapped.

"Very good, Mrs Leep. I assure you, your son will never trouble you again." Said Howan before hanging up the phone.

He then picked the phone up again and called another number. "We have the mother's consent, you have the go-ahead as soon as he gets there." Said Howan.

"Yes, sir." Said the voice on the other end.

During the call between Lonna Leep and James Howan, someone had been listening on Lonna's end. Beatrice Leep was crouching around the corner, listening closely to the conversation.

"I'd say you was a genius, but I tell ya there ain't nothing or no one who can control the kid." Lonna said into the phone.

Beatrice automatically assumed they were talking about her stepbrother. She was very tempted to go and pick up the other phone to hear what Lonna's correspondent was saying, though she didn't risk it.

"Course you got my consent. I don't care what you do to that kid s'long as you keep him outta my hair." Lonna said into the phone.

Beatrice felt a sudden surge of anger. Now she _knew_ they were talking about her stepbrother.

"That's what I just said ain't it?" Lonna snapped shortly before hanging up.

Lonna was walking down the hall as Beatrice jumped out and stood in front of her.

"What do _you_ want?" She snapped.

"What are you doing to Napoleon?" Beatrice asked angrily.

"Wha- you weren't eavesdropping on my phone call were you?" Beatrice's stepmother snapped furiously.

"_What's_ happening to him? Who were you talking to?" Beatrice asked.

"None of your business." Said Lonna, trying to shove past her.

Without thinking, Beatrice grabbed her stepmother and pinned her up against the wall.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING TO HIM?" She bellowed in Lonna's face.

"LEON! LEON HELP, YOUR DAUGHTER'S ATTACKING ME!" Screamed Lonna.

Beatrice's father rushed into the room and pulled his daughter off his wife. Beatrice was so livid she couldn't find words to express herself. She just turned and ran out the front door.

"YEAH YOU GO! AND DON'T YOU EVER COME BACK HERE!" Lonna shouted after her as she ran down the dark and rainy streets of Coconut Cove. As she ran, she was almost hit by a black van that had been speeding down the street.

Roy sat in his living room. He wondered if Mullet Fingers was at Muckle's house by now. There was a loud noise as a black van with a bad muffler roared past his house. Roy took no notice to it. He crept into his bedroom to check on to check on the owls. They were no longer nestled together in the old dog bed, but instead exploring Roy's room.

_They're nocturnal. _Roy remembered. He made sure the window was shut before closing the door and going back downstairs. When he got there, he jumped to find a soaked Beatrice standing in the middle of the living room.

"What's wrong?" Roy asked her, not needing to know how she got in.

"Wheres's Mullet? Is he still here?" She asked, looking around the house.

"No, he left for Muckle's house about an hour ago, why?" Roy asked.

"I heard Lonna talking on the phone, she was talking about him." Said Beatrice.

"So?" Roy asked.

"So, it sounded like the people she was talking to had him and...and are going to do something really bad to him." Said Beatrice worriedly.

"What was she saying to them?" Roy asked, now starting to get very worried himself.

"She said she didn't care what they did to him as long as they kept him out of her hair." Said Beatrice.

"That doesn't mean they have him, they're probably just planning on capturing him. And you know how he is, he's impossible to catch." Said Roy.

"No, Roy, it sounded like they already had him and were just getting Lonna's permission to hurt him! You didn't hear the conversation, I did. Do you know where he went?" Beatrice asked him.

"Yeah, like I said, he went to Chuck Muckles house to mess some stuff up." Said Roy.

"_And you let him_!" Cried Beatrice "I told you to keep him out of trouble, cowgirl!"

"You know that once he's made up his mind there's no changing it!" Roy shouted back.

"So? You could've used other ways, like tying him up or locking him in a room or something." Said Beatrice.

"Do you honestly think that could hold him? Why are we wasting our time arguing about it? If he really is in trouble then we should be looking for him." Said Roy, rushing towards the door.

Beatrice agreed and followed him. The rain was finally starting to let up.

Napoleon Bridger Leep was tied to a chair in a small room with one light. He had several little devices attached to his bare chest and his feet were in a bucket of cold water. He guessed he knew what this was for. He sat in the empty room for nearly thirty minutes before the door opened. In walked several men. Two men, dressed in what looked like prison guard uniforms, a tall bald man with round glasses and a grey suit bearing a Mother Paula's emblem on his breast pocket, an ugly short woman dressed in a red dress, an extremely long nose with a wart on the end (Mullet Fingers tried not to laugh) holding a clip board and pen and a young girl who looked like she was in her twenties with curly red hair.

"Do you know who I am, Mr Leep?" The bald man asked.

"A big jerk." Mullet Fingers replied.

The young girl giggled, but then stopped when the bald man looked at her dangerously.

"No, Mr Leep, I am James Howan, Vice-President of the Mother Paula's company. Tell me, do you have and idea how much trouble you've caused me over the last year?" He asked, eying Mullet Fingers over his round glasses.

"No, but I sure hope it was a lot." Said Mullet Fingers darkly.

The young girl was trying hard not to giggle this time. The woman that looked like a witch was jotting down notes on her clipboard. James Howan forced a smile.

"Yes, a lot. Do you know what this machine is?" He said gesturing to the device Mullet Fingers was hooked up to.

He couldn't think of a reply to this, so he remained silent, with a bad feeling that he was about to find out what the machine did the hard way.

"No? Well, Mr Leep, this machine is going to make you pay for all the hell you've put me and the Mother Paula's company through in the last year." Said Howan with a horrible smirk.

"You can't. You hurt me, you go to jail." Said Mullet Fingers.

"Oh, I think not, Mr Leep. You see, I've received consent from you're dear mother to do anything I wish to you in order to keep you out of her hair. _Anything I wish!_" Sneered Howan.

The young girl was no longer holding back giggles. She looked very upset.

"Would you like to see how it works, Mr Leep?" Howan asked.

"Do your worst." Said Mullet Fingers.

"Hm. We'll see how confident you are _after_ testing out my machine." Said Howan. He turned to one of the guards "Let's give him a four." He said.

The guard turned a tiny dial on a control pad. He then pressed a button and the device and immediately Mullet Fingers felt volts of electricity running through his body. He wanted to burst out screaming, but didn't. He just sat there, glaring at Howan, who did not look impressed.

"Five." Said Howan.

The dial clicked and more pain hit Mullet Fingers. Still, his expression went unchanged.

"_Seven_!" Snarled Howan.

Now the pain was unbearable, even for someone like Mullet Fingers. He was biting his lip as hard as he could, he could taste blood. His eyes were closed tightly, trying not to scream. He was sure he would hear Howan snarl eight st any second, but instead, a girls voice shouted "Stop it! Stop it you're hurting him!"

Mullet Fingers opened his eyes to see the young girl with red hair tugging at Howan's sleeve.

"Thank you for that second opinion, Miss Rouge, but hurting him is exactly what I intend this machine to do." Said Howan.

"_James!_" She cried "If you don't stop this then I'll quit!"

Howan immediately raised his hand and the machine shut down.

"Well, Mr Leep, you're in luck. It seems that _some_ of our staff seem to have some concern as to what becomes of you. Until tomorrow, then." Said Howan as he turned on his heel and left the room.

His accomplices followed him. The young girl named Miss Rouge looked back at him sympathetically before shutting the door behind her.


	5. Escaping Mother Paula's

**-Here's chapter 5 everyone, enjoy! And don't forget to review!**

Alexa Rouge strode swiftly alongside James Howan down the hallways of the Mother Paula's building.

"That's awful, what you're doing. I never knew you could steep that low." She said darkly.

"I told you that we would be going to great extends with the vandal-"

"You failed to tell me, however, that the vandal was a teenager." Said Alexa.

"What does it matter? He's a no good vandal all the same. It's time we stand up for ourselves, rather than foolish police officers giving them warnings and what not." Snapped Howan.

Alexa stopped. "James, you're torturing a teenaged boy who cares about what happens to defenseless owls. What kind of an example are you setting?" She said furiously, the color of her face now similar to her last name.

"A damn good one. We can't have children running around, ruining entire corporations, thinking they can stand up to us. It's barbaric. Its-" Howan's cell phone began ringing.

"Hello?" He answered as Alexa Rouge snuck away.

Chuck Muckle's voice came from the other end. "The owls are gone." He said.

"Why do you sound worried?" Howan asked.

"Because it wasn't the fox that got rid of them. It was that damned Leep kid." Muckle replied.

"How do you know?" Howan snapped.

"Well, who else do you know that walks around barefoot at an owl sanctuary in this weather? He's moved them." Said Muckle.

"God damn it! This discussion is not over." Howan said before hanging up.

He turned and ran back to the room where Napoleon Bridger Leep was being held. He ran in and picked up the dial. He put it to ten and pressed the button.

Instant pain rushed through Mullet Finger's body, causing him to cry out.

"WHERE ARE THE OWLS?" He bellowed.

But before Mullet Fingers could reply, Alexa Rouge appeared in the doorway, turned Howan around and punched him, knocking him, unconscious, to the ground. She quickly turned the machine off and removed the attachments from Mullet Fingers's body.

"There isn't much time, you have to get out of here. I'm Alexa by the way." She said hastily.

"Mullet Fingers. Why are you helping me? Won't you lose your job?" He asked.

"Not as long as I know that James Howan is cheating on his wife." Said Alexa.

"Really? How d'you know that?" He asked.

She winked at him as she got his shirt. "You've got to get out of here fast. Howan isn't afraid to kill you, trust me he doesn't have a clean record." Alexa explained as she took his arm and pulled him down the empty hallway.

"Where is this place?" He asked, looking around.

"It's about three miles from Coconut Cove, I can give you a ride back to your house, I got the address off Howan's computer earlier." She said.

Mullet Fingers shook his head. "I ain't welcome back there, my mom'll just ship me off to juvie." He said.

Alexa Rouge pushed open an exit door and pulled him out into the wet, dark parking lot. "Better in juvie than here, trust me." She said as they approached a gleaming red Ferrari.

Alexa looked a bit stressed as Mullet Fingers got into her car, it was brand new and she'd never seen someone with dirtier feet.

"I've got a friend I've been stayin with. You can take me there." He said.

She started the car and roared out of the parking lot. Thirty minutes later, they were driving through the familiar streets of Coconut Cove. They nearly hit two kids on bicycles.

"Honestly, what kind of kids go biking at this hour?" She asked, looking at the clock on the dashboard which read 1:17 a.m.

Beatrice and Roy watched as the Ferrari that nearly hit them drove off down the street.

"Did you see how close she came to hitting us?" Roy exclaimed.

"Did you see who was in the passenger seat?" Beatrice asked him.

"The passenger seat? I wasn't looking at who was in the car, I was more worried about the fact that it almost creamed us!" Said Roy.

"It was Mullet, I'm sure of it!" She said, speeding off after the car.

Roy went after her. This was likely the longest night of his life.

James Howan sat, fuming, at his desk. And ice-pack on his head. His intercom beeped.

"Mr Howan, I have the president of Mother Paula's for you on line two, sir." Said his secretary.

Howan picked up the phone. "Mr Milcbuter! To what do I owe this early pleasure?" Howan asked pleasantly.

"I was calling to ask you the same question. You never struck me as a man to work overtime, James, so exactly what are you doing at work at this time of morning?" Asked Ted Milcbuter, president of the Mother Paula's company.

"Oh, nothing, just going over some paperwork." Said Howan.

"Really? A message from Miss Alexa Rouge tells otherwise." Said the president suspiciously.

Howan's heart skipped a beat. "Does it? And what did Miss Rouge tell you?" Howan asked, trying to sound confused.

"That you've kidnaped a teenage boy and are torturing him!" Said Milcbuter with a chuckle.

Howan wasn't sure why the president was laughing but he thought it wise to do the same.

"Honestly, James, what _are_ you letting your employees drink over there? My lord, you know for a moment I actually believed her." He said.

"Did you?" Howan asked skeptically.

"Ha, so I though just to humor myself I'd call to see if you were actually up. I didn't expect you to answer." Milcbuter said.

"Oh, well you know me. If my papers aren't done I won't sleep all night." Said Howan, trying to remain calm.

President Milcbuter laughed again. "That's a good one, James. Now tell me, what exactly _are_ you doing up at this time?"

"Uh," he didn't have an excuse ready "Uh..."

"My god. James, you aren't implying that this is- what Miss Rouge said is...JESUS CHRIST, JAMES WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Bellowed Milcbuter.

"Now, just wait a minute, sir. I assure you, nothing bad can come of this-"

"GOOD LORD JAMES, YOU'RE TORTURING A TEENAGER!" He shouted.

"I have the consent of the boy's mother, and it may interest you to know , Mr Milcbuter, that this is the same boy who has landed Mother Paula's in the financial turmoil it's in." Said Howan quickly.

Suddenly, Ted Milcbuter's tone changed completely. "Is it really? And you say you have his mother's full consent?" He asked.

Howan smiled. "Oh yes." He was still slightly worried about the tiny detail that Napoleon Bridger Leep had escaped with assistance Ted Milcbuter's stepdaughter.

"There." Said Mullet Fingers, pointing to the Eberhardt home as they drove down Roy's street.

Alexa Rouge pulled into the driveway and Mullet Fingers got out. "Thanks for the lift." He said with a wave before walking up to the house.

"Wait! Hold on a sec." Said Alexa, jumping out of the car "Tread lightly around Mother Paula's. James Howan is a lunatic, he'll be after you. Lay low for a while an it may blow over." She said before getting back in the car and roaring off.

"Will do!" He called after her, though he had no intention of doing so whatsoever.

There were many things that Napoleon Bridger Leep was talented at; laying low and staying out of trouble was not one of them. He went up to the house and casually walked in as though he owned the place. Shortly after, his stepsister and Roy burst through the door.

"Bout time. Roy, you need to show me how to work this thing, man." Said Mullet Fingers as he pressed buttons on the clicker for the VCR, trying to make the Television turn on.

"_Where_ have you been?" Beatrice demanded.

He did a half shrug. "Around." He said, not wanting his stepsister to know about his night's adventure.

"We've been searching all over, you jerk! Why were you so late?" She demanded of him.

He half-shrugged again. "Went for a bit of a run afterwards, no big deal." He said, trying hard to sound casual.

"You told Roy you'd be home by midnight, didn't he Roy?" Beatrice's interrogation continued.

"Uh...yeah something like that." Said Roy, not wanting to get involved in this argument.

"Bea, I'm alright aren't I? Nothing went wrong, I just took a little while getting back, that's all. Now, if neither of you have any other problems, I'm goin to bed." Said Mullet Fingers before getting up and going off to the guest room.

Beatrice shook her head. "He is unbelievable sometimes."


	6. Mullet Fingers's Secret

Alexa Rouge strode swiftly alongside James Howan down the hallways of the Mother Paula's building.

"That's awful, what you're doing. I never knew you could steep that low." She said darkly.

"I told you that we would be going to great extends with the vandal-"

"You failed to tell me, however, that the vandal was a teenager." Said Alexa.

"What does it matter? He's a no good vandal all the same. It's time we stand up for ourselves, rather than foolish police officers giving them warnings and what not." Snapped Howan.

Alexa stopped. "James, you're torturing a teenaged boy who cares about what happens to defenseless owls. What kind of an example are you setting?" She said furiously, the color of her face now similar to her last name.

"A damn good one. We can't have children running around, ruining entire corporations, thinking they can stand up to us. It's barbaric. Its-" Howan's cell phone began ringing.

"Hello?" He answered as Alexa Rouge snuck away.

Chuck Muckle's voice came from the other end. "The owls are gone." He said.

"Why do you sound worried?" Howan asked.

"Because it wasn't the fox that got rid of them. It was that damned Leep kid." Muckle replied.

"How do you know?" Howan snapped.

"Well, who else do you know that walks around barefoot at an owl sanctuary in this weather? He's moved them." Said Muckle.

"God damn it! This discussion is not over." Howan said before hanging up.

He turned and ran back to the room where Napoleon Bridger Leep was being held. He ran in and picked up the dial. He put it to ten and pressed the button.

Instant pain rushed through Mullet Finger's body, causing him to cry out.

"WHERE ARE THE OWLS?" He bellowed.

But before Mullet Fingers could reply, Alexa Rouge appeared in the doorway, turned Howan around and punched him, knocking him, unconscious, to the ground. She quickly turned the machine off and removed the attachments from Mullet Fingers's body.

"There isn't much time, you have to get out of here. I'm Alexa by the way." She said hastily.

"Mullet Fingers. Why are you helping me? Won't you lose your job?" He asked.

"Not as long as I know that James Howan is cheating on his wife." Said Alexa.

"Really? How d'you know that?" He asked.

She winked at him as she got his shirt. "You've got to get out of here fast. Howan isn't afraid to kill you, trust me he doesn't have a clean record." Alexa explained as she took his arm and pulled him down the empty hallway.

"Where is this place?" He asked, looking around.

"It's about three miles from Coconut Cove, I can give you a ride back to your house, I got the address off Howan's computer earlier." She said.

Mullet Fingers shook his head. "I ain't welcome back there, my mom'll just ship me off to juvie." He said.

Alexa Rouge pushed open an exit door and pulled him out into the wet, dark parking lot. "Better in juvie than here, trust me." She said as they approached a gleaming red Ferrari.

Alexa looked a bit stressed as Mullet Fingers got into her car, it was brand new and she'd never seen someone with dirtier feet.

"I've got a friend I've been stayin with. You can take me there." He said.

She started the car and roared out of the parking lot. Thirty minutes later, they were driving through the familiar streets of Coconut Cove. They nearly hit two kids on bicycles.

"Honestly, what kind of kids go biking at this hour?" She asked, looking at the clock on the dashboard which read 1:17 a.m.

Beatrice and Roy watched as the Ferrari that nearly hit them drove off down the street.

"Did you see how close she came to hitting us?" Roy exclaimed.

"Did you see who was in the passenger seat?" Beatrice asked him.

"The passenger seat? I wasn't looking at who was in the car, I was more worried about the fact that it almost creamed us!" Said Roy.

"It was Mullet, I'm sure of it!" She said, speeding off after the car.

Roy went after her. This was likely the longest night of his life.

James Howan sat, fuming, at his desk. And ice-pack on his head. His intercom beeped.

"Mr Howan, I have the president of Mother Paula's for you on line two, sir." Said his secretary.

Howan picked up the phone. "Mr Milcbuter! To what do I owe this early pleasure?" Howan asked pleasantly.

"I was calling to ask you the same question. You never struck me as a man to work overtime, James, so exactly what are you doing at work at this time of morning?" Asked Ted Milcbuter, president of the Mother Paula's company.

"Oh, nothing, just going over some paperwork." Said Howan.

"Really? A message from Miss Alexa Rouge tells otherwise." Said the president suspiciously.

Howan's heart skipped a beat. "Does it? And what did Miss Rouge tell you?" Howan asked, trying to sound confused.

"That you've kidnaped a teenage boy and are torturing him!" Said Milcbuter with a chuckle.

Howan wasn't sure why the president was laughing but he thought it wise to do the same.

"Honestly, James, what _are_ you letting your employees drink over there? My lord, you know for a moment I actually believed her." He said.

"Did you?" Howan asked skeptically.

"Ha, so I though just to humor myself I'd call to see if you were actually up. I didn't expect you to answer." Milcbuter said.

"Oh, well you know me. If my papers aren't done I won't sleep all night." Said Howan, trying to remain calm.

President Milcbuter laughed again. "That's a good one, James. Now tell me, what exactly _are_ you doing up at this time?"

"Uh," he didn't have an excuse ready "Uh..."

"My god. James, you aren't implying that this is- what Miss Rouge said is...JESUS CHRIST, JAMES WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Bellowed Milcbuter.

"Now, just wait a minute, sir. I assure you, nothing bad can come of this-"

"GOOD LORD JAMES, YOU'RE TORTURING A TEENAGER!" He shouted.

"I have the consent of the boy's mother, and it may interest you to know , Mr Milcbuter, that this is the same boy who has landed Mother Paula's in the financial turmoil it's in." Said Howan quickly.

Suddenly, Ted Milcbuter's tone changed completely. "Is it really? And you say you have his mother's full consent?" He asked.

Howan smiled. "Oh yes." He was still slightly worried about the tiny detail that Napoleon Bridger Leep had escaped with assistance Ted Milcbuter's stepdaughter.

"There." Said Mullet Fingers, pointing to the Eberhardt home as they drove down Roy's street.

Alexa Rouge pulled into the driveway and Mullet Fingers got out. "Thanks for the lift." He said with a wave before walking up to the house.

"Wait! Hold on a sec." Said Alexa, jumping out of the car "Tread lightly around Mother Paula's. James Howan is a lunatic, he'll be after you. Lay low for a while an it may blow over." She said before getting back in the car and roaring off.

"Will do!" He called after her, though he had no intention of doing so whatsoever.

There were many things that Napoleon Bridger Leep was talented at; laying low and staying out of trouble was not one of them. He went up to the house and casually walked in as though he owned the place. Shortly after, his stepsister and Roy burst through the door.

"Bout time. Roy, you need to show me how to work this thing, man." Said Mullet Fingers as he pressed buttons on the clicker for the VCR, trying to make the Television turn on.

"_Where_ have you been?" Beatrice demanded.

He did a half shrug. "Around." He said, not wanting his stepsister to know about his night's adventure.

"We've been searching all over, you jerk! Why were you so late?" She demanded of him.

He half-shrugged again. "Went for a bit of a run afterwards, no big deal." He said, trying hard to sound casual.

"You told Roy you'd be home by midnight, didn't he Roy?" Beatrice's interrogation continued.

"Uh...yeah something like that." Said Roy, not wanting to get involved in this argument.

"Bea, I'm alright aren't I? Nothing went wrong, I just took a little while getting back, that's all. Now, if neither of you have any other problems, I'm goin to bed." Said Mullet Fingers before getting up and going off to the guest room.

Beatrice shook her head. "He is unbelievable sometimes."


	7. More Trouble

Napoleon Bridger Leep lay on his bed in the guestroom at the Eberhardt house. He was worried that Beatrice would do something to make those Mother Paula's people come after him again. He couldn't believe his own thoughts. After all this time, living in the wilderness and not having a worry in the world he was finally starting to crack up. Staying with Roy for the last few days had made him remember what it was like to have a home. He missed it a lot, and was dreading the return of Roy's parents, at which time he'd have to go back out to the wild. He had to admit, being tortured by the pancake people had shaken him, possibly shown him just how much trouble he could get himself into. He had no desire to be attached to that machine again. Maybe he should just run away again. The Mother Paula's people would be sure to find him at Roy's house if he stayed there. Yes. That's what he would do. Break off all contact with the world. He got up, packed his things, opened the window and ran out. It felt good to be out running again. He ran past Muckle's house, which was empty, and a little further down the street when-

PANG! He felt searing pain in his right foot. He looked down. He had stepped on a rat trap. A huge rat trap. He suddenly became very dizzy. Everything was a blur. He heard a voice call "Are you alright, son?" And then blacked out.

Half an hour after this occurred, James Howan got a call from Lonna Leep.

"The boy's in the hospital, what's going on?" She demanded.

"The hospital? Really? Where? Which one?" He asked, highly interested.

"What does that matter? I thought you was gonna kidnap him? How'd he end up there? If I get a hospital bill in the mail, don't be surprised to find it on your desk." Said Lonna angrily.

"Not to worry, Mrs Leep. We temporarily lost track of the boy. Do they want you to go to the hospital?" Howan asked.

"Course they do!" Lonna snapped.

"Don't. I shall take care of it." Said Howan before hanging up.

Roy was at home. Beatrice had left a little while ago and Mullet Fingers was still silent in his room. He wondered if Mullet Fingers was worried about the Mother Paula's people after him. At around six, Roy went in to check on him, but found the room empty with the window open. He ran to the phone and called Beatrice.

"It Beatrice home?" He asked.

"No, she's gone to a sleep over. Can I take a message?" Came Leon Leep's voice.

"Uh, just tell her to call Roy." He said.

"Will do." Said Leon before hanging up.

Great. Thought Roy.

Mullet Fingers had run away, Mother Paula's was after him and Beatrice wasn't available to help. This was bad. Very Bad.

The doctor watched as Mr and Mrs Leep entered the hospital. Mr Leep was dressed in a grey suit, bald and wore large round glasses. Mrs Leep was short, fat, had a long nose and a wart on the end of it. Both looked like business people.

"Ah, you must be Mr and Mrs Leep?" The doctor asked.

"That's right." Said Mr Leep.

"Well, your son is in here. He stepped on a large rat trap. Broken four of his toes and fractured his foot. We have him on some strong pain medication right now, but he'll be ready to go home in a little while. He will need crutches for about a month, maybe two." The doctor explained.

If she was not terribly mistaken, she thought she saw Mr and Mrs Leep exchange smirks, but said nothing incase she was. They walked into one of the wards and the doctor pulled back the curtains.

"Napoleon? Your mother and father are here to see you." Said the doctor gently.

The boy looked up. His eyes were barely open. He shook his head.

"No...those aren't...my parents...need...Beatrice and Roy." He said quietly.

"Uh, surely the medication he's on is making him delirious." Said Mr Leep quickly.

"Well, it's pretty rare, but yes this medication can cause delirium." Said the doctor.

"Me we take him home now?" Mrs Leep asked impatiently.

"I wouldn't recommend it, he should be able to walk with crutches when it's time to leave." Said the doctor.

"Excuse us for a moment." Said Mr Leep, taking his witch-like wife outside the ward.

"If we wait until the medication starts to wear off then we'll have a hell of a time convincing the doctor we're his parents." Said Mr Leep.

"She said she wouldn't recommend we take him now, that doesn't mean we can't, Mr Howan." Said Mrs Leep.

"Agnus, I like the way you think." Said Howan with a smirk.

They walked back into the ward and said "I think we'll take him now. We just want to get him home and into bed, I think." He said.

"Very well, can you carry him or will you need help?" The doctor asked. Normally, she would protest more, but this had been a long day for her and she was anxious to get home.

"Oh we'll carry him." Said Howan, picking him up from the bed.

They walked out of the hospital. "That was much easier than I thought." Said Howan.

"Indeed." Said Agnus the witch-lady as she opened the back doors of a black van and helped her boss get the boy into the back.

Roy was sitting worriedly in the living room of his house. Not knowing what to do, he was merely waiting for something to happen. And then something did. The front door burst open and in walked Beatrice, looking like she'd been through a tornado.

"I thought you were at a sleep over?" Roy asked.

She scowled. "I overheard Lonna on the phone again and she snuck up behind me, tied me up and stuck me in the back seat of her car. I smashed the window open and got out." She explained, holding up her bleeding hand.

"What was she saying on the phone?" Roy asked.

"Something about a hospital. I thought maybe the Mother Paula's people told her Mullet escaped and she's worried he's gone to the hospital. Where is he anyway?" She asked, looking around.

"Uh..." Said Roy "He...ran away. In fact, it's very likely he _is_ in the hospital."

"What?" Beatrice exclaimed.

"Let's get on our bikes, we'll get there faster." Said Roy.

"No, we need some better help. If the Mother Paula's people are there they'll have an easy time getting around us. Do you know any adults that can help us?" Beatrice asked.

Roy thought for a moment. He could call his parents, at the first sign of trouble they'd be there in a flash. But no, that would be the last time he's left home alone. For a split second, he considered calling his history teacher, Mr Ryan. He'd always been keen to help Roy. No, that would seem stupid for him to call. Then, there was only one person left that Roy could think of. He didn't want to, but it was his last resort. He went through the drawer by the phone and found an old business card. On it was the name Officer David Delinko, Coconut Cove Police Department.

"You're joking. A police officer? Mullet's wanted by the police, have you forgotten?" Beatrice snapped.

"Do you know anyone else we can call? He's a good guy, he'll help us." Said Roy picking up the phone and dialing the number on the card.

Mullet Fingers was in a room again, however not hooked up to the machine. His foot was throbbing. He wondered if he could walk on it or not. Then, the door opened and James Howan, the witch-lady and some security guards walked in.

"Well, Mr Leep, have you been enjoying yourself today? How nice. You've made my life very difficult over the last few hours so now I'm going to makes yours a living hell." He said with a horrible grin.

"No you are not." Said a deep voice.

The door opened and a tall man walked in. He had grey hair that was slicked back and in a ponytail. He also wore a black suit.

"Mr Milcbuter! What a pleasant surprise! I didn't know you were flying out tonight!" Howan exclaimed.

"I hadn't planned to, until I got this fax." Said Milcbuter, producing a sheet of paper from his suit "It's from the boy's birth father. It counters his ex-wife's consent for you to torture the boy. I'm afraid that in that case, Mr Howan, you have no legal right to harm this boy unless _both_ parents give their consent. Now release him." Milcbuter snapped.

Mullet Fingers looked up. "My...birth...father?" He asked wearily.

The security guards released the robes binding him to the chair and helped him to his feet. Milcbuter handed him his crutches. Howan snatched the sheet out of his hand and read it over. The fat witch-lady was trying to see it too.

"How do you know that's his signature? I can't read it." Howan snapped.

Now all the men and the witch-lady were examining the paper. "Look, who would waste time writing this up if it wasn't the boy's father?" Milcbuter snapped impatiently.

"Mr Howan is right. I think we should cross-reference this signature and make sure it's the real father." Said the witch-lady.

"Hey, where'd he go?" One of the guards asked suddenly.

They all looked around. Mullet Fingers was gone. His crutches were lying on the ground by the chair.

"That's not possible." Breathed Howan "FIND HIM! NOW!" He bellowed at the guards, who ran out of the room.

Howan, the witch-lady and Ted Milcbuter all hurried out of the room to Howan's officer.

Mullet Fingers was running as fast as he could. His foot was throbbing beyond compare, he felt like he was going to pass out. Suddenly, a large hand covered his mouth from behind and pulled him into a closet. He struggled.

"Stay quiet." Said a deep voice from behind him.

He heard footsteps run past the door of the closet. Then the voice said "There's an emergency exit to the right a little ways up. It says it's locked but it's not, trust me. Go now, hurry."

The closet opened again and he was forced out. He hesitated and then opened the door to see who had helped him. Strangely enough, it was empty. He didn't have time to wonder where the man had gone, more security guards were coming. He ran as fast as possible to the exit the man had spoken of. And it was as the man had said, unlocked. He ran out into the dark parking lot and away from the Mother Paula's building.

Officer David Delinko pulled up outside Roy's house. He hurried to the front door and went inside.

"Okay so what's the trouble Roy?" He asked.

"Beatrice's stepbrother. He's in danger. We don't have time to explain right now, we've gotta get to the hospital." Said Roy quickly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Roy, I'm not going roaring off to the hospital without a good reason. Tell me what's going on." Said Officer Delinko.

Beatrice and Roy explained what had happened. "But, wait a sec. Your mom can't give permission for your stepbrother to be tortured, that's against child safety laws. If they tortured him she can go to jail for that. Giving permission is as bad as torturing him herself." Said Officer Delinko.

"Okay, fine, but that point is, he could be getting tortured right now for all we know! Let's just get going." Said Beatrice.

"Alright, into the cruiser, let's go." Said Officer Delinko.


	8. Death?

Mullet Fingers limped down the poorly lit highway. His entire body was aching. There was no way he was going to make it all the way back to Coconut Cove. He felt very woozy, as though he would pass out at any second. There were no cars driving by, so he couldn't hitchhike like he did when he escaped from military school. Suddenly, he tripped and lost his balance, falling into a ditch and banging his head on a rock. He couldn't get back up. This was it. There were wolves and coyotes everywhere near the highway. Sooner or later they'd pick up his scent and come looking for some meat. He was going to die out there.

_Oh well,_ He thought_ , At least Beatrice and Roy won't have to worry about me all the time now._

He hated how they were always so worried about him. When he ran away, he hadn't planned on causing so much worry for Beatrice. She'd probably be horrified when the found his half-eaten body in a ditch, but at least she wouldn't have to worry about the police being after him or anything. Roy would be upset too, but at lease he would be getting into trouble looking for him anymore. Lonna would be happy when the coroner showed up at the door with the news. She'd probably throw a party and invite all her friends. He hoped he could count on Beatrice to not let Lonna donate his body to the university to dissect or anything. He knew Roy would take good care of the owls. He didn't have any regrets, after all he'd been through. And then, he felt very tired. He couldn't keep his eyes open any longer.

"Beatrice...Roy...I'll miss you guys." He whispered aloud before his eyes closed and everything went black.

Beatrice, Roy and Officer Delinko hurried out of the hospital. "Hurry, those Mother Paula's people could already have him at their building!" Beatrice said once they were in the car.

"Right, there's a Mother Paula's building a few miles away from the city, he's probably there." Said Officer Delinko as he sped off toward the highway.

As they drove well above the speed limit, with the sirens roaring, down the highway, Roy could have sworn he'd noticed someone lying in the ditch. Probably just a homeless person. Five minutes later, they could see the Mother Paula's corporate building. Officer Delinko called for back-up on his radio. They pulled up and ran inside. They approached the front desk.

"We're looking for the head of this building." Said Officer Delinko firmly.

"Mr Howan? He's in a meeting right now, you'll have to come back in the morning." Said the secretary.

Suddenly, four security guards ran up to Officer Delinko and mistook him for one of them.

"Have you seen the kid anywhere?" One asked.

"What kid?" Officer Delinko asked.

"The blond one, the one Howan's got us looking for." Said the guard.

The police officer glanced at his younger companions and then pulled out his badge and held it up to the guards.

"I'm Officer David Delinko, C.C.P.D. I want to see this Mr Howan now." He said in his best intimidating voice.

The security guards looked a bit taken aback. They realized they had no other choice and took him to Howan's office. Roy and Beatrice waited in the lobby. Minutes later, several more police cars showed up. Officer Delinko returned with a tall, bald man in a grey suit who looked very pale.

"He says your stepbrother isn't here anymore. I want this whole building searched anyway." Said Delinko.

"What if Mullet isn't here anymore? That doctor told us he was hurt, he may be in trouble." Said Beatrice.

Suddenly, Roy felt nauseous. Could the person he'd seen lying in the ditch be Mullet Fingers?

"Uh...er...I think I...oh my god. Mullet Fingers, I think I saw him in a ditch." Said Roy dazedly.

Mr and Mrs Eberhardt were returning early from their cruise. Mrs Eberhardt had been worried that Roy was lonely. Mr Eberhardt had read in the paper that the owls had disappeared from the Owl Sanctuary on the corner of East Oriole and Woodbury. They'd decided to get off at the next stop and catch a plane home.

"Oh, honey do you really think Roy's getting involved with that Leep boy again?" Mrs Eberhardt asked anxiously on the flight.

"I'm sure of it, Liz. Him, the Leep boy and that girl Beatrice." Said Mr Eberhardt.

Mrs Eberhardt sighed. "Oh, what I wouldn't give to have the shy, quiet Roy back." She said.

"Think about it. If we had the shy, quiet Roy then there'd be a Mother Paula's on East Oriole and Woodbury, an innocent teenager in juvenile hall , and no more burrowing owls in Coconut Cove." Said Mr Eberhardt.

"I suppose. Oh, I only hope he's alright."

Mullet Fingers awoke on a cozy bed.

_I'm alive?_ He thought. He was sure he had died in that ditch. He looked around. He was in a small shack. It was very warm. There was a man with very long, shaggy blond hair, a short beard and freckles cooking at the stove. He noticed Mullet Fingers was awake and smiled at him.

"Thought you were dead? Or perhaps you hoped it? Heh, you're lucky I found you when I did, there were some nasty looking wolves lurking around." Said the man.

"Where am I? And who're you?" Mullet Fingers asked, sitting up.

"You're in my, ah, temporary abode. And as for who I am, well let's just say I don't go by a name anymore." Said the man.

"You don't? Do you have a nickname?" Mullet Fingers asked, being reminded of himself.

"Not one I'd repeat around a teenager. Some people call me Trav." He said.

"As in Travis?" Mullet Fingers asked.

"No, as in traveler. I get around a lot. How do you feel?" Trav asked.

His foot wasn't throbbing as badly anymore, but the back of his head hurt. "Better. Walking a quarter mile with a fractured foot and four broken toes isn't my favorite choice of activities." Said Mullet Fingers.

Trav chuckled. "And here I was thinking that you walking all that way without shoes on was a problem." He said.

"Naw, I never wear shoes. They just slow me down, ya know?" Mullet Fingers said, examining his injured foot.

"Ah yes, I'm brewing something up for that right now. It's quite a complicated potion but I think it could work. I can't really call myself an apothecary." Said Trav, getting up and checking on the large pot boiling on his stove.

Mullet Fingers raised his eyebrows. "Brewing a potion? Is this some kind've dead person dream or what?" He asked.

Trav laughed. "No, but if I told you where I found out about this potion I would have to kill you, so it's best you not ask anymore questions." Said Trav.

"Uh...okay. I'm pretty sure they gave me the best medicine they could find at the hospital though." Said Mullet Fingers.

"Oh, I'm quite sure they won't have this in a hospital." Said Trav, pouring the contents of his pot into a phial and walking over to Mullet Fingers.

"I hope this works." Trav said.

"What's the worst that could happen?" Mullet Fingers asked.

"Well, your foot could turn to stone and fall off, but that happens very rarely." Said Trav, pouring the liquid onto Mullet Fingers's injured foot.

It was scalding hot. Then he became very cold.

"Wiggle your toes." Trav instructed.

He did so, and to his great surprise, there was no pain at all. The bones had healed! Trav chuckled.

"Wait until Zid finds out I brewed that and didn't cause someone to lose their limbs." He said happily.

"Zid?" Mullet Fingers asked.

"An old friend of mine. Between you and me, he, er, never quite forgave me for the time I brewed this for his little problem." Said Trav.

Mullet Fingers looked at him quizzically. "Well, let's just say that Zid hasn't had much of a sex-life since then." Said Trav, dismissing the subject.

Mullet Fingers's stomach rumbled. "And that's our cue for dinner!" Declared Trav, going back to the stove.

Officer David Delinko, Beatrice and Roy drove slowly down the highway in Delinko's police cruiser, searching the ditch.

"I don't see him. Let's get out." Said Beatrice.

They did so and began searching the ditch more closely. And then, Officer Delinko found something. He shined his flashlight on a footprint in the ground. A barefoot print. They followed the tracks until they come to a large rock where the tracks ended. They then peered fearfully into the ditch. The long grass had been pushed aside, someone had been lying in the ditch.

"He couldn't have just vanished." Said Roy.

Delinko radioed his men at the Mother Paula's building to say that Napoleon Bridger Leep had been in a ditch at some point and could possibly have been taken back to that building. Beatrice looked like she was on the verge of tears. Roy wished he could comfort her, but didn't know what to say. Where was Mullet Fingers? Was he even alive?


	9. Howan's Phone Call

**Enjoy!**

Roy, Officer Delinko and Beatrice were returning to Coconut Cove after a shouting match, Officer Delinko getting pushed into the ditch and a huge dent on his police cruiser's door just for suggesting that Mullet Fingers was dead. It was well after midnight now. Roy was half-hoping he would find Mullet Fingers fiddling with the TV remote again when he walked in the door. They came to a stop outside Roy's house.

"It'll be alright, Beatrice. Mullet's tough, he's fine." Roy said trying to comfort her.

She merely nodded. Officer Delinko walked Roy to the door and then bade him farewell. Suddenly, Roy noticed lights on inside. With a surge of joy, he burst into the house in into the den. But it was not Mullet Fingers. Sitting in the den, with the basket of owls on the table, was Mr and Mrs Eberhardt.

Mullet Fingers was exhausted. Trav had permitted him to spend the night at his place, but said he had to be gone by morning because he had business to attend to elsewhere. He lay in the cozy bed, looking at the ceiling. He wondered if Beatrice was worried about him now. Of course she was, she probably wasn't sleeping. But something had bothered him. There were no windows on this house. What if it was his imagination? What if he really was dead? A man appears out of nowhere and saves him from the ditch. He then brews a magic potion that heals bones instantly? Unlikely. Mullet Fingers must be dead, there was no other way of explaining it. He couldn't sleep at all. He jumped up and crept over to the door of Trav's shack. Perhaps Heaven was outside. His hand was on the knob, he was about to open the door when a larger hand wrapped around his and pushed the door shut.

"You aren't dead and you aren't dreaming." Said Trav.

"But how come you can do all this weird stuff then?" Mullet Fingers demanded.

"I can't tell you. You'd best quit asking questions or I'm going to make a potion that'll wipe your memory. Come, sit down." Said Trav, offering him a seat.

"Can't sleep either?" He asked Mullet Fingers.

Mullet Fingers shook his head. "In the morning I'll take you home." Said Trav.

"I don't have, or need a home." Said Mullet Fingers glumly.

"Ah. I traveler like myself?" Trav asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Nah, I'm just not wanted." Said Mullet Fingers "Not like I care though." He added quickly.

"Hm. So tell me, what was a homeless, shoeless young boy like yourself doing unconscious in a ditch?" Trav asked.

"Well..I used to have some little friends I took care of..." Mullet Fingers began retelling the story of how he, Roy and Beatrice all saved the burrowing owls at the Mother Paula's construction site and how now the Mother Paula's people were trying to torture him to get revenge.

"Hm, it doesn't seem to make sense that this pancake company would go after the boy who caused them so much trouble after recovering from such bad publicity." Said Trav.

Suddenly, a grandfather clock chimed. "Ah, it seems your time here is up." Said Trav looking at the clock.

"My...time here?" Mullet Fingers asked.

"Indeed. It's time for you to go. Twas a pleasure meeting you, Mullet Fingers. Good-bye." Said Trav.

Suddenly there was a great FLASH! And then everything went black.

James Howan, Ted Milcbuter and the fat witch lady all sat in silence as the Mother Paula's building was being stripped down and searched for the Leep boy. Milcbuter was so furious that it was beyond words. Howan was pale and sweaty. The witch-lady was expressionless.

"If they find...if something...if there's...if they find that boy, James, you're going to wish you were never born, you hear me?" Said Milcbuter dangerously.

"Y-yes sir." Howan stammered.

Suddenly, a security guard burst through the door. "Mr Howan, the boy's been found. His body was in a ditch." He said.

"Good god! Is he...dead?" Milcbuter asked worriedly.

"It looked that way, sir, but he's been taken to the hospital anyway. They wouldn't have taken him there if there wasn't any hope." Said the guard.

"So help me, James, if that boy dies..." Milcbuter shouted.

"I-I understand Mr Milcbuter. You, guard, tell the hospital that Mother Paula's will fund anything that needs to be done to him." Said Howan.

"Yes Mr Howan." Said the guard before rushing out.

Suddenly, a cell phone began ringing. It was Howan's. He looked at the front of it and said "Excuse me." Before leaving the room.

"My god, if those damn owls caused so much trouble imagine how the public'll react if they find out Mother Paula's has caused fatal injuries on the boy that saved them." Said Milcbuter, burying his face in his hands.

"Or killed him." The fat lady said.

Milcbuter gagged. If that boy died, Mother Paula's would undoubtably go bankrupt. He could go to jail.

James Howan was on his cell phone in an empty room. He was speaking to the second highest ranked person in the country; the Vice-President of the United States.

"Mr Howan?" Came Vice President Donald Viseige.

"Mr Vice-President, it's an honor to speak to you again." Howan said.

"Don't waste my time with formalities. Have you silenced the boy yet?" Viseige asked impatiently.

"Well, actually sir there's been a bit of an interference." Said Howan.

"Of what sort?" The Vice-President asked.

"I'm afraid that the boy's sister alerted police and the police have invaded the building. And, worse yet, prior to this incident, the boy escaped yet again." Howan explained.

"Do you know where he's gone?" Viseige demanded.

"Yes sir, he's in critical condition at the hospital. Last we heard, he was dead but we're have reason to believe otherwise." Said Howan.

"Dead? Have you taken necessary precautions to make sure that his parents will not find any way to connect his death to me?" Viseige asked worriedly.

"Yes sir, but with all do respect, there isn't anyone who would bother sir, he's an unwanted child." Said Howan.

"Very well. If the boy dies, then I expect this is the last time you and I should ever have to speak. Make sure there are no interferences and you will be rewarded." Said Vice President Viseige before hanging up.


	10. Back Home

**-This chapter is a bit depressing, sorry:( Again, it's a little shorter than usual but I hope you all enjoy it anyway. **

Mullet Fingers awoke in the hospital. His mother was standing over him, looking incredibly sour. Mullet Fingers felt a surge of hatred rush through his veins.

"Your friend's parents called and said you were in the hospital and that I needed to come right away. Do you have any idea how much this is costing me? Boy oh boy I'm gonna make your life hell when you're outta here. And don't think of trying to run away, the hospitals put extra security in here to make sure you don't." She said, loathing him.

Mullet Fingers glared at her. Lonna glared at him.

Later that day, he was released from the hospital. All the way out, his mother held onto him by his hair. Once outside, she rummaged through her purse and pulled out two sets of handcuffs. One pair went on his wrists and the other on his ankles. She pushed him into the backseat of the car and roared off. Once they got home, Mullet Fingers saw that there were some men working at metal boxes in each corner of the yard. Lonna had a nasty grin on her face as they pulled into the driveway. She dragged him into the house and threw him down on the sofa. She then sent Beatrice to get a small box from the kitchen. Beatrice looked apologetic as she handed the box to her stepmother. In it were four, what looked like, large bracelets. Lonna took the handcuffs off her son and replaced them with the bracelets.

"You put one toe out of this yard and you'll be electrocuted by these. Five minutes of it and you'll be dead. As long as you stay here you work for what you eat. When you aren't working, you're locked in your room. There's to be no speaking to him, Beatrice." She said, turning to her stepdaughter "He's our servant. If I catch you two talking, he'll be beaten and you'll be locked in your room for a week. Ah yes, and I also got you a little present." Said Lonna, picking a box up off the table and opening it.

In it was a pair of shoes and socks. "If I see you without these on you'll be beaten and lose your meal privileges for a week." She said, forcing him to put them on.

She then dismissed him to his room. When he got up there, he found his window barred and a security camera in the top corner. There room was bare except for a blanket and pillow on the floor. On his bedroom door was a little flap which assumed was to push meals through. He knelt down and pushed at it, and found it couldn't be opened from the inside. He let out a deep sigh and lay down on the floor. His shoes were so tight that he felt as though they'd cut off circulation from his feet. He sat up again and examined the electrocuting bracelets. They were metal. There was no way he could force it off. Three hours later, a meal popped through the flap on his door. It was half a piece of moldy bread and some expired mayonnaise. He three small bites, then put it back on the plate. He didn't know when his next meal would be and decided to save it in case he really needed food. A short while later, Lonna opened the door and said:

"We've finished our dinner, you can clean the dishes now. Do a good job and I'll give you half a glass of milk before you go to bed."

He went downstairs and got right to washing dishes. Beatrice walked through the kitchen several times but made sure not to so much as look at him at risk of getting him beaten. After finishing with the dishes, he was given a glass of bad milk and sent off to bed. At seven, metal blinds came down outside his window. He curled up under his blanket and drifted quietly off to sleep.

"Honey, we can't keep them here forever. First thing tomorrow we're taking them back to the owl sanctuary." Said Mrs Eberhardt sadly to Roy.

He'd been up most of last night, being lectured by his father. His parents had been beyond angry when he came home after looking for Mullet Fingers. They permitted him to keep the owls at their house for one more day before they took them back to the owl sanctuary. They did so the next morning. Each one hopped happily back to it's den.

It was the last day of summer. Mr Eberhardt had found out that Beatrice's stepbrother had been found and was back at home.

"Maybe things are going to be alright with him now." Said Mrs Eberhardt.

"Fat chance. She's probably being horrid to him. Can't you call social services to go check up on him or something, dad?" Roy asked.

"We need a legit ament reason for them to conduct a survey, Roy, and we have no proof that Mrs Leep is mistreating her son." Said Mr Eberhardt.

Roy read in the paper a day later that James Howan had been fired by Mother Paula's the day after word leaked that they had had something to do with Napoleon Bridger Leep's injuries during the weekend. After a quick breakfast, Roy went out to meet the school bus.

It was a dreary first day of school in Coconut Cove. Roy took his usual seat near the front of the bus. He looked hopefully out the window th see if maybe, just maybe, Mullet Fingers had begun school with Beatrice. Roy was disappointed to see only Beatrice waiting at the next stop. She came and sat down next to him.

"Well? What's been going on?" Roy asked quietly.

Beatrice looked really upset. "I'm sorry, Roy, I can't talk about him to you. Lonna's says she'll beat him if I do." She said sadly.

"How will she know?" Roy asked.

"For one, she knows your dad's in law enforcement and would send someone over right away if he knew. And secondly, she's arranged for the teachers and the bus driver to keep an eye on us while we ride the bus. And wors-"

"Sorry, you two can't sit together." Said the bus driver who had walked over to Roy and Beatrice.

Beatrice got up and moved. Roy looked out the window, somehow hoping he'd see Mullet Fingers running down the sidewalk again. Once at school, he met up with Garret, who immediately started telling him about Hawaii. Roy didn't listen to a word he said. He noticed that most of the teachers were eying him unusually. He didn't listen to a word his teachers said all day long. When he got home, he didn't dare mention a word Beatrice had said to his parents.

"Oh...yeah he's doing all right. He won't be at school for a few days because he's still recovering from a concussion he got when he hit his head." Roy lied when his parents asked about Mullet Fingers.

"Well see honey? Didn't I tell you'd things would work out for him?" Said Mrs Eberhardt pleasantly.

Roy felt ill for the rest of the day.

Mullet Fingers was covered by his blanket in his room. There was no heating in there, he was freezing. He was right to save the bread, Lonna hadn't given him any meals since the night he returned from the hospital. There were little drips of blood on his bedroom floor. He'd risked going downstairs barefoot. As punishment, Lonna poured out a bag of broken glass on the patio and forced him to jump up and down on it for half an hour. He also lost meal privileges for, as he'd been warned, a week. By the end of the week, he'd lost a dangerous amount of weight. His skin was getting paler. He had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. He'd walked passed Beatrice one night and could have sworn she'd burst into tears. The thing he hated most about the way Lonna was treating him was how it was effecting his stepsister. She too looked much skinnier. He hadn't said a word all week. Not a peep. He refused to talk to anyone but Beatrice, and since he wasn't allowed to speak to her anymore he didn't talk at all. On Thursday, he'd been forced to clean out the basement and was rewarded with a three minute shower, no hot water. It was cold and quick, but refreshing. He'd been given Friday off, likely because Friday was Beatrice's chore day. One would think that Napoleon Bridger Leep would have spent the day plotting ways of getting out of his predicament. But no. He'd given up trying to get away. He saw no point.

Late Friday night, he was paid a visit by Leon Leep. "Here," he said shoving three chocolate bars, a small bag of chips and a pop into his stepson's hands "Your mother won't be happy about this but it's not fair that you don't get to eat."

Mullet Fingers ripped open the bag of chips and began scarfing them down.

"I'm really sorry your mother's getting away with this, but I can't stop her. If I tried to, she said she'd send Beatrice off to military school, and I know neither of us want that to happen." Said Leon as Mullet Fingers ate.

He stayed until Mullet Fingers had finished eating before taking the garbage and departing, locking the door behind him.

Mullet Fingers felt very grateful to his stepfather. He was the closest thing to a caring parent that Mullet Fingers had ever had. At least someone in the world cared what happened to him.


	11. The President's Secret

**In this chapter we meet a new character, the President of the United States! His character is based upon David Palmer from the TV show 24. Enjoy!**

Beatrice and Roy snuck to Mullet Finger's old camp at the golf course so they could talk without the risk of being overheard. They didn't have much time, they'd purposely missed the bus so they'd have some time to talk.

"It's sick what she's doing to him. Just sick." Said Beatrice.

She told Roy all about how Mullet Fingers was locked in his room all day, given barely any food at all and forced to do chores for Lonna.

"...And so now she's barred his window, locked his door from the outside and put these awful bracelet things on him so that if he leaves the yard, it'll fry him. And even worse, he's not even trying to escape, it's almost like he's given up hope...given up on life. I hate seeing him like this, Roy, we have to do something." Said Beatrice.

"Yeah, you've got that right." Said Roy, trying to plot a way to get Mullet Fingers out.

He first remembered something from a book he'd once read, then discarded that idea because in order to do it they would require a flying car. The Eberhardt family car could do many things, but Roy was pretty sure it couldn't fly.

"Wouldn't Lonna be charged for Mullet's truancy?" Roy asked.

"Nope. I heard that some big shot in the government pullet some strings and had him registered as mentally distraught and a danger to other students. It says that she's legally home schooling him." Said Beatrice angrily."

"Well...give me some time, I'll think of something. I promise." Said Roy.

"I know you will, cowgirl. I gotta go. Don't mention this to anyone alright? If Lonna finds out, she'll just have another excuse to beat him. I'll see you later." Said Beatrice before leaving.

Mullet Fingers was kneeling on the attic floor. He was supposed to be cleaning it. At the moment, he was going through some old boxes, supposedly sorting them. His was frightfully skinny now, his ribs clearly visible on his chest. He now had huge bags under his eyes. He was going through a box of old newspapers. Why his parents had kept them was beyond him. Most were of his stepfather. Pictures of him playing pro basketball and such. But then, he came to one particular article that suddenly made him stop. On the front page of the newspaper was Roy, Beatrice, Kimberly Lou Dixon and his head. It was from the day he and his friends had stopped the Mother Paula's people from killing the burrowing owls. Letters had been written to the paper about how brave he was. Suddenly, his mouth fell open and he dropped the newspaper.

_What the hell am I doing?_ He thought.

He had given up. He'd let his cow of a mother win. Suddenly, he felt a surge of energy.

Lonna Leep was awoken from her nap by a loud banging. She grumbled angrily as she crawled out of bed to see what the commotion was about.

"What the hell are you doing up there, boy?" Lonna shouted up the stairs.

The banging had been coming from the attic. She stormed upstairs and burst through the door. As soon as she walked in she felt a surge of horror. Her son's shoes were lying on the floor, the laces had been removed. She then saw the they had been tied around a hole in the window from. She walked over to the window and looked out. An axe, four broken bracelets and two metal boxes that were completely wrecked were strewn across her front lawn. Suddenly, something caught her eye. A blond figure running down the street.

"DAMN IT!" Lonna screeched.

President John Kresc was working at his desk at the White House, when he was interrupted by Donald Viseige, the Vice-President.

"Donald, please come in. What can I do for you?" The President said, his voice was very deep.

John Kresc was a very popular president. He was the first African-American president that the United States had ever had. Many people had questioned his position, but he had proved them all wrong. He was now expected to win the next election.

"Mr President, I was wondering if I could discuss with you the matter of the Leep boy." Said Viseige.

"Oh, yes come in. Have a seat." Said Kresc.

"Mr President, before I begin I'd just like to ask that what we discuss in here doesn't leave this office." Said Viseige.

"Of course," said Kresc, producing two shot glasses from his desk ", shot of whiskey?" He asked.

"No thank-you sir, I'd rather just get down to business." Said Viseige.

The President shrugged and put the bottle and glasses back in his desk.

"So, what is it you want to discuss? I thought you were going to make sure he didn't try to interfere." He said.

"Well sir, I'm afraid there's been a problem. I've just gotten off the phone with his mother, she said he ran away again about half an hour ago. I think, sir, it's time for us to take more, ah, extreme measures." Said the Vice-President.

"Extreme? Define that for me, Donald." Kresc asked, leaning back in his chair.

Viseige got the feeling that the President knew exactly what he was talking about, but just wanted to hear him say it.

"What I mean, sir, is to...erm...have him...taken care of." Viseige said in an unnecessary undertone.

The President raised his eyebrows. "Taken care of?" He asked.

Viseige hesitated. "Have him...killed, sir." Said the Vice-President.

There was a long silence. President Kresc got up and went to look out the window.

"Are you suggesting, Mr Viseige, that we arrange the assassination of a teenage boy?" He asked.

Viseige noted the fact that the President was no longer speaking to him on a first name bases.

"Yes sir." He said.

"Honestly, Donald, what _has_ this country come to? Arranging to kill teenagers who stand up for what they believe in? When I was young that would be inexcusable. You'd be fired just for suggesting it." The President said, pacing his office.

"Sir, need I remind you the threat this boy is to national security?" Viseige asked.

"The threat he _may_ be to national security, Donald, _may_ be. We have no way of knowing if he's ever been contacted by his biological father." Said the President.

Though he was an extremely popular president, John Kresc was also considered to be 'soft' by many in the administration. Donald Viseige was one of those people.

"Sir, it shouldn't matter whether he's been contacted by his father or not. We've seen what he's-"

"Yes it does matter, Mr Viseige. We are talking about the life of a teenage boy. I think we owe it to him to get our facts straight before condemning him to death." Kresc said.

"Mr President, forgive me sir, but do you have any idea how-"

"Mr Viseige. I am a well respected president. I am not going to taint the record not only of myself, but of the country, by murdering a young boy who cares about what happens to creatures who are unable to defend their selves." The President said, his voice now growing louder "If you bring my significant proof that this boy is as big a threat as you say he is then I will take into consideration the necessary procedures that need to be taken. If there is nothing else you'd like to discuss then I would kindly ask you to leave my office."

Viseige got up. "Yes sir, my apologies for upsetting you." He said before departing.

Kresc went and sat down at his desk. He took a deep sigh and opened the record of Napoleon Bridger Leep on his computer. Only sixteen years old, attended three years of school, comes from a broken family. The President felt sorry for Napoleon. The truth was, John Kresc couldn't bear to have this boy killed for the sole reason that he reminded the fifty-three year old President of himself at that age. He too had been a runaway, had family problems. It was frightening how much he and Napoleon had in common. He was prepared to do anything in his power to prevent this boy from having to be killed. He owed it to himself and Napoleon Bridger Leep.


	12. Mullet Meets A Friend

**-Here's chapter 12 everyone. Thanks to thefirstphoenix for all your reviews and suggestions. If you think of the moment between Mullet Fingers and Beatrice is anything more than the love between a brother and sister than shame on you! **

Beatrice was greeted unpleasantly by her stepmother when she got home from school.

"Where's Mul- uh _him_?" She asked, remembering that the use of the words 'mullet' and 'fingers' in the same sentence meant beatings for her stepbrother.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing. Been helping him find a place to hide out, hm?" Lonna asked.

"What are you talking about? I've been on the bus." Said Beatrice.

"Yeah right, I know you helped him get away." Lonna said horribly.

Sitting on the table an axe. Lonna lifted it up. There was blood on the tip of it.

"I don't know what he did to himself but whatever it is, I hope it's really hurting him." Said Lonna with a twisted smile.

Beatrice suddenly felt sick seeing the bloody axe. She tried to keep her cool and went over to the fridge. Suddenly, Lonna leapt up from the table, grabbed Beatrice and pinned her up against the wall.

"WHERE IS HE?" She screamed in Beatrice's face.

"Leave her alone." Said a voice.

Lonna turned around to see Mullet Fingers standing in the kitchen. She dropped Beatrice and advanced on her son.

"Boy you've got some nerve showing up here." Said Lonna.

And then it happened again, Lonna leapt forward, grabbed her son and pinned him up against the wall. She then grabbed a huge knife off the counter and held it up to his heart.

"THAT'S IT! I'M SICK OF YOU! I'M ENDING IT RIGHT HERE AND NOW!" She screeched in his face.

"NO!" Yelled Beatrice, grabbing a glass pitcher off the counter and smashing it over her stepmother's head.

Lonna fell unconscious to the ground. "Come on." She said to her stepbrother, helping him up and running out of the house. They ran about a block and then started walking.

"You shouldn't have come, I could've taken her." Said Beatrice.

"I'm so sure." Said Mullet Fingers, walking ahead of her.

Beatrice suddenly noticed that her stepbrother was limping. "What happened? Lonna showed me the axe and- oh no, Mullet what happened?" She exclaimed as Mullet Fingers stopped and showed her his ankle.

There was a long cut down it. Blood was still oozing out. "When I was trying to get those zapper things off I hit too hard on the last one." Said Mullet Fingers.

"How deep is it?" Beatrice asked.

"I dunno, I think I hit the bone." He said.

"You need to get that bandaged up." Said Beatrice at once.

"Not now, it's just a little cut. Come on, we need to find some place to hide." Said Mullet Fingers.

They hurried to the golf course and went in to his camp there.

"You can't stay here, Lonna knows this is where you were living before, it'll be the first place she'll start looking." Said Beatrice.

"We can worry about that when she actually starts looking." Said Mullet Fingers, sitting down on a log and examining his inured ankle.

"I can bandage that up, I always keep some in my backpack now, after the dog bites." Said Beatrice, taking her knapsack off.

"It won't be that easy." Said Mullet Fingers, looking at his cut closely "It looks like there's a piece of metal in there, probably from the bracelet."

"Well then...I'll just have to get it out." Said Beatrice, pulling a pair of tweezers out of her bag.

She took a close look at his injury. She'd need to go feeling around in there for the metal. She put on some latex gloves, told her stepbrother to brace himself and then pulled his ankle open. She stuck her finger in a pushed around, feeling for metal. She did this for about a minute, Mullet Fingers groaning loudly in pain. Suddenly, Beatrice saw her stepbrother's bone, pearly white. She felt sick. She noticed a piece of metal, lodged in the bone. Shaking, she took the tweezers and pulled the metal out. Mullet Fingers screamed in agony. Beatrice tied a bandage around his ankle as quick as she could, then lay down and closed her eyes. She felt queasy. And who wouldn't?

Mullet Fingers looked at his stepsister. It was at that moment that he realized just how much he owed Beatrice. How many other stepsisters in the world would stick their fingers into their stepbrother's ankle? Or smash a jug over their stepmother's head? Beatrice got up again and took her bloody gloves off.

"You're gonna need stitches, and I _can't_ do those." She said.

Mullet Fingers shook his head. "No way I'm goin back to the hospital. To risky, it'll heal on it's own eventually." He said.

"Where are you going to stay?" Beatrice asked.

"I dunno. I can't go back to Roy's, his parents'll be there. I'll stay here for a while, I guess." Said Mullet Fingers.

Beatrice eyed her stepbrother closely, then went and sat down on the log beside him.

"What's up with you lately? You're all, I don't know, out of character." She said.

"I...I dunno. I guess that, you know, all that's happened lately has kinda shaken me, ya know? Opened my eyes a bit. When I was lying in that ditch...I really thought I was going to die. I was...I was...scared, Bea. I was scared." Mullet Fingers said with difficulty.

Beatrice put her hand on his. "You don't need to be scared. I'm here for you, and I always will be." She said, kissing him on the cheek.

He looked at her for a minute. Then they started talking. They spoke for hours, exchanging stories of their lives before Lonna and Leon had married. They'd never really gotten a chance to talk like that, what with Mullet Fingers always on the run. Once it was late, Mullet Fingers drifted slowly off to sleep on his stepsister's shoulder.

Carefully and quietly, Beatrice got up and lay Mullet Fingers down by the log. She shivered. It was incredibly cold out. She was about to leave, when she took one last look at her stepbrother. Sleeveless shirt, shorts and bare feet. She took off her sweatshirt and put it over him. He needed it more then she did. Beatrice kissed his stepbrother softly on the cheek one last time before running off.

She was headed for Roy's house, she knew she could stay there whenever her parents were fighting. On her way however, she recognized her father's car slow down beside her.

"Darling?" Leon Leep asked from the window.

"I'm not coming home, dad. Not with that witch there." Said Beatrice who was still walking.

"Your stepmother isn't home tonight, she's in the hospital. Needed some stitches in the back of her head after you hit her with the jug." Said Leon.

"Why's she spending the night?" Beatrice asked.

"They just want to observe her to see if she's got a concussion. Please come home, sweet hart. Tomorrow we're all going to sit down as a family and talk." Said Leon.

"We won't be a family without Mullet." She said.

"_That's_ what we're going to talk about. Just get in the car, sweety." Said Leon.

Reluctantly, Beatrice got in the car and went home with her father.

It was early the next morning that President John Kresc was greeted on his way out of the White House. It was Donald Viseige.

"Mr President, I was just wondering if you'd thought anymore about what we discussed last night?" He asked.

"What was there to think about, Donald, I thought I made myself quite clear." Said Kresc.

"Well- er- I just thought maybe after sleeping on it you may have changed your mind." Said Viseige.

"When I make a decision, Donald, that decision stands and if it changes I assure you you'll be the first to know." Said Kresc, who was walking towards the helicopter pad.

"Are you...going somewhere sir?" Viseige asked.

"I am, Donald. I've got some business to take care of in Florida." Said the President.

"May I ask what, sir?" Viseige asked.

"No, you may not. I should be back later tonight or early tomorrow. Good day, Mr Viseige." Said Kresc, walking onto the helicopter pad and getting in the chopper.

Mullet Fingers awoke the next morning with Beatrice's sweater draped around him. His ankle was felt as though it was burning. He got up and found it was very cold. He tried to start a fire. Mullet Fingers sat on a log at his campsite, and began trying to get his fire going. He heard the sound of leaves crushing under someone's feet and whirled around. Standing behind him was a tall black man dressed in a navy blue suit. He didn't look like someone you'd often see wandering in the woods.

"Who're you?" Mullet Fingers demanded.

"No one in particular." Said the man, putting his hands in his pockets and strolling into Mullet Finger's campsite "A drifter, like you."

This man hardly looked like a drifter. "Yeah? Well go find somewhere else to camp out, this is my spot." Said Mullet Fingers darkly.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to bother you. I thought perhaps you'd like some company, I've seen you around before." Said the man.

Mullet Fingers eyed him for a moment, then sat down on the log again. The man came and sat down beside him.

"You look familiar, have I met you before?" Mullet Fingers asked.

"I doubt it. I've been on the news a few times though, maybe you saw me there." Said the man.

"Nah, I haven't watched TV in ages. Can't really plug one in out here, ya know? You got a name?" He asked.

"John. You?" The man asked.

"I don't use my name anymore. My sis calls me Mullet Fingers." He said.

"Interesting. I take it, then, that you're talented at capturing mullets?" John asked.

"Yup, it took a lot of practice but hey, there ain't much else to do out here. So why's a suit like you wanderin' around the woods?" Said Mullet Fingers.

"No reason. I used to be a runaway myself, until I got into politics." Said John.

"Politics? You mean like the suits up at the White House? Hey, have you ever met the president?" Mullet Fingers asked.

John shrugged. "We're acquaintances."

"Too bad a big shot like him doesn't care about kids like me." Said Mullet Fingers glumly.

"Well who knows? I'm pretty sure he does." Said John "But anyways, I suppose I should get going. I'm a busy man."

"Hey, the next time you see the president tell him to think about watchin out for guys like me, kay?" Mullet Fingers asked.

John nodded. "I'll be sure to mention that to him." He said.

"See ya Johnny." Said Mullet Fingers.

John waved as he walked away. It felt strange to be called Johnny again. It felt strange to be addressed by his first name for that matter. After all, he was the President of the United States of America.


	13. The Hurricane Hits

**-This chapter is shorter than normal, mainly because my head went blank when I was writing it and have a weird thing about posting my chapters quickly, so I ended it early (don't worry, whatever I left out will be in the next chapter.) I'd tell you what chapter this is but I've lost count, it's nearly midnight and you should know anyway. Sorry I seem grumpy, I just sat through a really confusing and rather boring movie and I'm a little tired. Enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

Roy was late for school on Monday. He'd been held up by Beatrice who'd asked him if he'd seen Mullet Fingers lately. He said he hadn't. In fact, that had been the first he'd heard of Beatrice's stepbrother's escape. She told him she was worried about Mullet Fingers getting an infection in a cut he'd gotten, and it didn't help that she hadn't seen him all weekend. Roy suddenly realized what time it was, and found he was late for his history class.

Today was current events. He'd brought an article from the paper saying that the President had been in Coconut Cove over the weekend. He read it quickly when he got to class and then took his seat. He wished Beatrice would stop bringing him bad news, it always distracted him all through class. He didn't take in a word of Mr. Ryan's lecture on the English Civil War, he was too busy worrying about Mullet Fingers. He looked out the window. The clouds were black, rain was hammering down. Part of the reason Beatrice was so worried. There had been a hurricane warning issued for Florida. What would happen to Mullet Fingers if a hurricane hit?

President John Kresc was almost sprinting down the hallways of the White House, he had to get to his chopper. He'd only just heard about a hurricane supposedly about to hit in Florida. He immediately thought of Mullet Fingers, he'd need help. He was hoping to get there before the weather turned nasty. He turned a corner and was headed off by Donald Viseige.

"Is something wrong Mr. President?" Viseige asked.

"Donald, excuse me I'm in a but of a hurry." Said President Kresc.

"Really? May I ask why?" Viseige asked.

"No, it's an emergency, get out of my way." Said Kresc, trying to get around Viseige.

The Vice-President blocked him. "Donald, what the hell are you doing? I'm the President of the United States, god damn it, let me by!" Kresc shouted.

"No, sir, I don't think I will. I'm not allowing you to jeopardize the safety of this country. You're going to try and save that runaway boy from the hurricane. I'm not going to let you. You and I are going for a walk, Mr. President." Said Viseige, suddenly jabbing a needle into the President's arm causing him to fall unconscious.

Mullet Fingers was crouching under an old boat in the junkyard. He was freezing. It had been a long time since Coconut Cove had a rain like this. His feet felt numb and his legs felt like icicles. The puddles were huge. The bandage around his ankle was soaked; and not with water. It had started bleeding again when he ran for cover from the rain. He kept trying to tie the bandages tighter but it wasn't helping. He had lost a lot of blood. He was beginning to feel a bit dizzy. The raindrops were pounding on top of the boat. Almost hypnotically. His eyelids began to get heavier. And heavier. His head was ringing...

Miss Hennepin's voice rang over the P.A. system.

"Attention all students and faculty. It has just come to the school's attention that a hurricane will indeed be striking within the next hour and a half. Therefore, all classes for the day are cancelled, parents and guardians have been contacted. Those who usually take the bus will either be car pooling or speaking with the office for other arrangements. Any students with questions regarding the situation are free to come and ask me or any other office staff." She said.

Within minutes, Roy had been swept out of the classroom with the other students and was rushing through the hallways. He ran into Beatrice on the way.

"I'm car pooling with you, and I'm staying at your house during the storm, my parents thought it was easier." She said hurriedly.

"Listen, I don't care what kind of promise you may have made him, you've gotta tell me where Mullet Fingers is so we can go pick him up." Said Roy.

"Alright fine, but not here. In the car, come on hurry!" Said Beatrice as they ran into the pouring rain looking for Mrs. Eberhardt's car.

They found it fast and told Roy's mom the situation immediately.

"Roy, honey, we can't. I promised Beatrice's mom and dad I'd take you guys straight home." She said.

"But mom, he doesn't know about the storm, he's hiding in the woods what if a tree falls down or something?" Roy persisted.

"Mrs. Eberhardt, please, my brother really isn't dressed for a hurricane either. Even if he survived the storm he'll end up getting really sick." Beatrice pleaded.

"Oh, alright. But we'll have to hurry." Roy's mother gave in.

Mrs. Eberhardt then did some of the fastest driving Roy had ever seen. Before they knew it they were at the golf course.

"Ten minutes, you two, and not a second more. If you don't find him then we'll send Mr. Eberhardt out later. Hurry." She said sternly.

Roy and Beatrice ran to Mullet Fingers's campsite and found it empty. They began calling his name. No answer. They'd already wasted six of their ten minutes finding his campsite.

"MULLET! YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE, THERE'S A STORM COMING!" Beatrice shouted.

Roy heard his mom honking the horn in the distance. "Beatrice, come on, we have to go." Said Roy.

"But...but we can't just abandon him out here." Said Beatrice.

"Listen, he's not an idiot, Beatrice. If he sees a storm coming he's smart enough not to stand in the middle of the road looking around stupidly, he'll find some shelter." Said Roy, grabbing Beatrice's arm and dragging her off back to the parking lot.

Karen Kresc, the first lady, was hurrying down the halls of the White House and ran into Donald Viseige.

"Oh, Donald, just the man I wanted to see. I'm looking for John, you haven't seen him, have you?" She asked.

"Can't say I have. Wasn't he heading for Florida?" Viseige asked.

"Yes, that's why I'm looking for him. He didn't show up at the chopper and they're wondering where he is. Oh I hate it when his disappears like this." Said Karen.

"Karen, don't worry about it. I'm sure he's just gotten caught up somewhere." Said Viseige, putting his hand on her thigh.

Karen Kresc glared at him. "Donald, we aren't doing this anymore. John and I are being honest with each other now." She said, taking his hand off her thigh.

"My apologies. Listen, why don't you go back up to your office, get your paperwork done and I'll take care of making sure the President gets to Florida." Said Viseige.

Karen eyed him for a moment, then said "Oh I suppose your right. I worry far to much. Thanks Donald."

Karen turned and walked back to her office. Viseige pulled out his cell phone and called a number.

"Agent Douglas, do you see Mrs Kresc?" He asked, making eye contact with a Secret Service agent standing in the hallway Karen had gone down.

The agent nodded to him. "Good, follow her to her office and make sure there aren't any detours. Once she's there, lock her in. Don't ask why, just trust me."

The agent nodded again and pocketed his phone.


	14. The Believer and the Traitor

**Chapter 14 everyone! Enjoy! By the way, if anyone finds this confusing don't hesistate to e-mail me and I shall explain everything.**

"Lonna, I've got to go. Please don't make it harder than it already is."

"But Travis, sweety, why? It's because I'm pregnant isn't it? You don't love me anymore because I'm fat." Lonna said.

"No, honey, no. I just...I have to go take care of some things." Said Travis Bridger, hugging his wife.

He jumped onto the bus. As it began to drive off, Lonna Bridger stood there, alone in the rain, sobbing. Travis Bridger never came back. Lonna vowed when her son, Napoleon, was born she would hate him. He had driven away her love. Even now, sixteen years later, as Lonna Leep sat in the abnormally small car with her new husband, she still hated her son beyond compare. He had ruined her life, so she ruined his.

Lonna no longer had long auburn hair. It had been shaved off, all of it, so that she could have twelve stitches put in the back of her head. Another reason for her to hate her son. No, not hate, she _loathed_ her son. When she found him, wherever he was hiding, she would kill him. It was beginning to drive her mad. His smug face, constantly messy blond hair, always running around in his bare feet, like he was higher than the rest of Coconut Cove. Just thinking of him made her mad now.

"Lonna, dear, you and Napoleon really need to end this pointless feud. You can't make your son go away, no matter how much you may hate him." Said Leon Leep.

"I ain't letting him come home, if that's what you mean. That little brat ruined my life." Snapped Lonna.

"He ruined your life? By being born? How is that his fault?" Leon asked.

Lonna was silent. She couldn't think of an answer.

"It's not his fault and you know it. You know what I think, Lonna? I think you hate him so because you hate Travis. And every time you look at Napoleon you see him. You just wanted someone to take your anger out on, didn't you?" Leon asked.

Lonna scowled. Though Leon was a lazy slob, when it really came down to it he was incredibly good at figuring people out.

"It doesn't matter _why_ I hate him. I still do and that ain't gonna change. He's a menace to societ-"

"He is only what he has been raised as." Leon cut over her.

Lonna could not counter that statement. Leon was right. The only reason she hated her son was because she needed someone to take out her anger on.

Karen Kresc sat at her computer desk. She was doing some work on his computer when suddenly, she got an anonymous e-mail with a video attachment. She opened it to find that it was a surveillance tape that had been recorded that morning. It showed John talking to Donald Viseige, there was no sound but she could tell that John was agitated.

"He lied. He did see John this morning." Karen muttered.

Then suddenly, Viseige pulled out a needle and jabbed it into the President's arm. Karen gasped. The tape ended with Viseige stuffing the President into a nearby closet.

"Oh my god." Karen whispered.

She got up and hurried across the room. She turned the handle on her office door, but it didn't move. She jiggled it.

_No!_ She thought frantically.

She banged on the door. "SOMEBODY! ANYBODY! HELP, I'M TRAPPED IN HERE!" She shrieked.

Nobody answered. And nobody would, Karen Kresc's office was in the quietest section of the building, no one was ever walking past her office. She ran over to her phone on her desk and picked it up. No dial tone. She reached for her cell phone but found that it wasn't in her pocket. Then she remembered, Donald wasn't coming on to her in the hallway, he had stolen her phone!

Beatrice and Roy were in Roy's room, quickly packing a bag. Mr. Eberhardt had come home to say that there had been an evacuation order and that they were leaving. Beatrice was pale.

"What's going to happen to Mullet? What if he's hurt somewhere? He'll die!" She said shakily.

"He'll be alright, Beatrice, he always is." Said Roy.

"But his ankle, he had a really bad cut on it, he couldn't walk properly. He needed stitches but he wouldn't go." Said Beatrice, her voice getting higher.

"We'll meet up with him soon, I promise." Said Roy.

Though he wasn't sure if he could keep that promise. He too was worried about his friend. Being a runaway in a hurricane is bad. Being a runaway who's dressed in shorts, bare feet and has a badly injured ankle in a hurricane was worse.

Roy's parents began shouting for them to hurry up. Beatrice and Roy rushed downstairs and straight into the car. Before they knew it, they were moving in the slow traffic down the streets. The stopped outside the junkyard, someone up ahead had been in an accident. Mr. Eberhardt turned the engine off; it was going to be a long wait. Beatrice was looking out the window. Roy tried to see if she was looking at anything in particular. Then he saw it too. Underneath an old boat in the junkyard, face flat on the ground, was Mullet Fingers's clearly visible blond hair. Without thinking, Roy and Beatrice both jumped out of the car, ignoring Mr. Eberhardt's shouts and ran to the aid of Beatrice's stepbrother.

Mullet Fingers was sitting in Trav's shack. Trav was making some coffee.

"Hey Trav, I've got a question." Mullet Fingers said.

"And I likely have an answer." Trav said.

"I know this place isn't a dream but...I can't remember how I got here." Said Mullet Fingers.

"It's difficult to explain. Hm, you see, it's not exactly your body here, more your conscience." Said Trav.

"My conscience?" Mullet Fingers asked.

"Indeed, you see, your body is, at the moment, lying under a boat in the middle of a hurricane. You are dead. Or at least, if you were taken to a hospital right now and examined by a doctor, he would say you're dead." Trav explained.

"What? How can I be dead if I'm right here?" Mullet Fingers asked.

"Feel your heart." Trav said.

Mullet Fingers did so. But there was no heartbeat. "This place is on the thin line between life and death. One cannot come here if they are completely dead. In other words, if they are not a believer." Said Trav.

"A believer? You mean like a religious person? Cause I sure ain't religious-"

"No, not that kind of believer. One who believes that overcoming the impossible is a simple deed. You proved yourself by saving those burrowing owls. You overcame, what everyone else believed to be, the impossible. You are special." Said Trav.

"So, this place does exist then?" Mullet Fingers asked.

"Let me ask you, if a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to hear it, will make a sound?" Trav asked.

"I dunno, I didn't go to school." Said Mullet Fingers.

"You do not need to be a school student to know that there is no answer to that question. So now I ask you this. If you believe a place exists, but others tell you it doesn't and soon you grow to believe is doesn't exist as well. Tell me, will this place still exist?" Trav asked quickly.

"Well...yeah, I guess. I mean, just cause one person doesn't believe in it doesn't mean it's not there." Said Mullet Fingers.

"Exactly. So, if you believe in this place then yes, it will always be real. But if you do not believe then you won't be able to come here. May have lost their lives because of that." Said Trav.

"I won't, I'll always believe in this place." Said Mullet Fingers.

Suddenly, a girl's voice filled the room. "Mullet, please! Please don't be dead, please! Wake up!" She cried.

It was Beatrice's voice. "Ah. Already your belief in this place is wavering. It doesn't matter if you tell yourself it's real, it's natural that you lose belief in it as you age." Said Trav.

"C'mon, buddy, wake up!" Came Roy's voice.

Mullet Fingers was looking frantically around. "Where are they?" He demanded.

Trav got up and pulled back the curtains on a window. "Look." He said.

Mullet Fingers looked out the window. It was pouring rain. His lifeless body was in the arms of Beatrice, who was crying. Roy was kneeling next to her looking scared. Mullet Fingers ran to the door, swung it open and ran outside. FLASH! He landed back on the bed in Trav's shack.

"You cannot leave here yet." He said.

"But they think I'm dead! Lemme see them!" Mullet Fingers shouted.

"If I send you back now, you realize that you will never be able to return?" Trav asked.

"What?" Mullet Fingers asked.

"If you leave here so abruptly and are immediately back with your friends when you awaken, you will forget all about this place and never be able to return." Said Trav.

Mullet Fingers hesitated, then said "Fine, whatever it takes to be with my friends." He said.

Trav grinned. "And _that_ is the very reason you were ever able to come here in the first place. I have one last thing to tell you before you leave. Listen carefully; everything that has happened is tied together. We will meet again, in your world next time, and when we do I will have a lot I need to tell you. Until then..."

Karen Kresc was ramming her door with her desk chair. The doors in the White House seemed impossible to break. She was about to hit it for the fourth time when suddenly, it burst open and John Kresc, accompanied by ten Secret Service agents entered.

"John!" She exclaimed, running forward and hugging her husband "It was Donald, he did this!"

"I know, he got away on my chopper, we'll get him, don't worry." Said the President.

"Didn't you have to get to Florida? What's happening, John?" The First Lady asked.

"There's a young boy in danger there. I consider him very important. But I bought some more time, Hank is down there he's going to make sure the boy's okay." Said Kresc.

"Bought some more time? What do you mean, John? You aren't still going down there are you?" Karen asked.

"I am, but I'm taking Air Force One, I've arranged an emergency take off. I'm headed to the airport right after this." Said Kresc.

"John, there's a hurricane! You can't fly a plane there! Let alone land it!" Karen exclaimed.

"We're arranging a pick-up outside the hurricane area, don't worry. I'm sorry, Karen, I've really got to run. I'll talk to you tonight." Said the President before running off with his security detail.

Mullet Fingers opened his eyes. He was lying on the cold, wet ground. Beatrice was kneeling over him, tears streaming down her face. She let out a little shriek when he awoke and threw her arms around him. Roy, who kneeling by him too, also looked a little teary, though he'd never admit it.

"Don't you ever do that to me again!" Beatrice cried.

Mullet Fingers grinned. "Don't worry, Bea, I don't plan on it." He croaked.

His stepsister hugged him so tightly that it was cutting off circulation from his head.

"I was scared...really scared." She whispered.

"Beatrice..." Mullet Fingers said.

She stopped hugging him and then she and Roy helped him get to his feet. He suddenly became aware that he ankle was throbbing and bleeding. They helped him walk back to the road, but found that Mister and Misses Eberhardt's car was gone. They must have been ushered ahead. The three were beginning to wonder what to do when suddenly someone called them over. He was very tall, dressed in a black suit, had a shiny bald head and a pierced ear. He was holding an umbrella over his head.

"Is one of you Mullet Fingers?" The man asked.

"He is." Said Beatrice, pointing to her stepbrother.

The man pulled out a badge. "Hank Hartman, Secret Service. I've got orders from the President himself to pick up a runaway boy named Mullet Fingers...and any who accompany him." Said the man.

"The President? Why does the President give a dang about what happens to me?" Mullet Fingers asked.

"President Kresc said that the two of you were friends, that you'd met before." Said Hartman.

"What? I've never even seen the guy. Unless...no way. Was...was the President in Coconut Cove on the weekend?" Mullet Fingers asked.

"I heard so, yes." Said Agent Hartman.

"You're kidding me." Said Mullet Fingers.

"Mullet, what is it?" Beatrice asked.

"The President...I've met him."


	15. John Kresc's Old Friend

**-Hi everyone! Thanks to my fans and reviewers for your comments! I am considering going into a sequel, I am corresponding with certain people who's opinions I consider important and am trying to decide how to end the story; at this point I have several ways it can end. But that's still a long way off! Enjoy and please review!**

"Mr. Viseige, I am a very powerful man. When I want someone dead, they are dead within the next forty-eight hours. I have wanted both Napoleon Bridger Leep and Travis Bridger dead for the last month. I relied on you to have it taken care of since it is difficult for me to take care of people in your area. Tell me, Mr. Viseige, _why_ are the Leep boy and his father both still alive?" An angry voice said over the phone.

"I underestimated the boy, sir. He proved to be...stealthier than I had originally assumed." Said Donald Viseige, who was hiding in an alley near the White House.

"Tell me, Mr. Viseige, exactly what is so difficult about killing a teenager?" The man demanded.

"Well, sir, I wasn't exactly sure how-"

"Not sure _how_? I'll tell you how, Mr. Viseige, you put a gun to his head and BLOW HIS GOD DAMN BRAINS ALL OVER THE BLOODY GROUND! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?" The man bellowed.

"Y-yes sir." Viseige said.

"Very good. I am warning you, Mr. Viseige, if I do not receive that boy's head in a box, on my desk by this time next week then _there will be hell to pay_!" The man shouted.

"Yes, sir, I understand completely." Said Viseige.

"I am not exaggerating, Mr. Viseige, I will be expecting a head in a box on my desk this time next week. It will either be the Leep boy and I will use it to start my evening fire, or it will be yours and I shall mount it _on my wall!_" Spat the man.

"Yes sir, I promise you will be done." Said Viseige before hanging up the phone.

Mullet Fingers was lying across the seat of Agent Hank Hartman's car. Hartman was rummaging through his glove compartment looking for a first aid kit. He was lecturing Beatrice as he searched.

"It's obvious that his ankle needed stitches. I would have thought that one who cared for their stepbrother so would have made sure he got proper medical attention." He said.

"Can you fix him then?" Roy asked before Beatrice could reply.

"I'm a Secret Service agent, not a doctor. I can apply some disinfectant and stop the bleeding but sooner than later he's going to need stitches." Said Hartman, applying some medical gloves to his hands before rubbing some kind of glop on Mullet Fingers's ankle.

"I don't need stitches, I'm fine." Said Mullet Fingers.

"Yeah, remember the last time you felt fine? Roy and I ended up carrying you to the hospital." Beatrice snapped.

Hartman tied a bandage tightly around Mullet Fingers's ankle. Then suddenly, Roy said: "Hold on a sec, Secret Service only works in Washington. How come you're all the way down here?"

"Technically, I'm on vacation. I got a phone call from the president this morning; asking me to find a boy nicknamed 'Mullet Fingers' and get him to safety. He also told me to take along anyone who may be with him." Said Hartman, disposing of his bloody gloves "Get in, let's get going."

President John Kresc sat his desk aboard Air Force One. He was examining two newspaper clippings. The first was an old one, a picture of a three young African American children and one blond American boy. A girl and three boys. Karen Jeod, Travis Bridger and Frankie and John Kresc. There was a headline that said "Young boy dies to save brother". The other clipping was newer, from about a year ago. On it was a young blond boy, a boy with brown hair and a blond girl. The headline on this one said "Three local youths save burrowing owls". Both pictures were strikingly similar.

_When I'm president, I'm going to make sure no one has to live like I have._ Rang a child's voice inside the President's head.

_You have to go to school if you want to become the President. How many runaways do you know that were President? _Rang a young girl's voice.

Kresc buried his face in his hands. If he'd listened to Karen, his brother would still be alive. Then again, if he'd listen to Karen, he'd be living out in the wild, Donald Viseige would be president and Mullet Fingers would be dead. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. In walked Howard Howan, the president's chief of staff.

"Mr. President, I'm glad to hear you're alright. When I heard you'd been attacked at the White House I got back as fast a possible." Said Howan.

"Oh, Howard that wasn't necessary. I know it's been a hard time for your family." Said Kresc.

"My work comes before anything, Mr. President." Said Howan.

"Well I'm glad to see you're dedicated. Have you been to see James in prison yet?" Kresc asked.

"Yes. He's not the man I grew up with anymore...wouldn't even look me in the eye." Said Howan sadly.

"Wouldn't or couldn't?" The President asked, leaning back in his chair and raising his eyebrow.

"Enough about me, sir. I've been briefed on the situation but I was told to ask _you_ for the details on Travis Bridger." Said Howan, sitting down.

The President put his newspaper clippings in his desk drawer, then handed his chief of staff a folder with information about Travis Bridger in it.

"That's everything there is to know about him." Said Kresc.

"Everything, sir?" Howan asked.

Kresc hesitated. He got up abruptly and closed the blinds of his small office and locked the door. He came back and stared Howan directly in the eye.

"Can I confide in you, Howard?" He asked quietly.

"Of course, sir." Said Howan.

Kresc took a deep sigh and sat down again. "For the last sixteen years I have been doing everything in my power to help Travis Bridger elude the law." He said.

"What? Why?" Howan asked.

"He and I are extremely good friends...or at least, we used to be. _That_ is one of the reasons why I have taken such an interest in the well-being of his son, Napoleon. About two years ago, I received a call from a man named Gorganzorg. He said he was president of some powerful corporation and that he believed that a known terrorist, Travis Bridger, was in my country and asked if I would see to it to make sure he didn't leave. I was corresponding with Gorganzorg for several years. The last time we spoke was a year ago, when he finally made it clear he wanted to have Travis and his son killed. I told him I would take no part in such and act and hung up. There isn't a doubt in my mind that that is who Donald Viseige is taking orders from." Kresc explained.

"But sir, it's still wrong that you're helping this terrorist elude the law, you could go to jail for that." Howan pointed out.

"The fact is, I have no proof that Travis is indeed a terrorist. The only proof we have is Gorganzorg's word, and if it's the president of the United States on trial that wouldn't mean much. Sixteen years ago, I got a letter from Travis. He said that he was leaving the States for a while, but wouldn't tell me where he was going. He asked that I make sure his son grew up right. I felt I owed it to him to look into it, but after my campaign I suppose I forgot all about it. The point of this is, Howard, I refuse to believe for a second that Travis is involved with any terrorist acts. If Travis did indeed break a law, then it was for a good cause." Said Kresc.

"Understood sir, is that all?" Howan asked.

"Yes, Howard, but I must emphasize the confidentiality of this topic. Until we prove Travis innocent, this could ruin my presidency. Can I count on you to keep this quiet?" Kresc asked.

"Yes sir." Said Howan, leaving the room.

Seconds later, the president got a phone call.

"Mr. President, it's Hank Hartman, sir." Said the voice on the other line.

"Hank, what's going on, have you found Mullet Fingers?" The President asked.

"No sir. While on my way there, I was assaulted and robbed by someone." Said Hartman "He stole my car, my ID and my gun. I have reason to believe, sir, that this boy, Mullet Fingers, has gone with this individual and is, if not dead already, then in extreme danger."


	16. Mullet's Father

**A very short chapter, but important. Enjoy and don't forget to review!**

Mullet Fingers was breathing fast. His forehead was gleaming with sweat. Beatrice held his hand tightly.

"We need to get him to a hospital." She informed Agent Hartman as they roared down the highway.

"After we meet with the president. It's crucial we get to the rendezvous point on time." Said Hartman.

Mullet Fingers let out a sigh. Beatrice pulled him down onto her lap and stroked his hair. She could feel his heart pounding fast on her leg. She and Roy exchanged worried glances. Suddenly, the car swerved and went down into an underground parking lot.

"I thought you said we were going to the air port." Roy asked.

Hartman didn't answer. Mullet Fingers's breathing had slowed down, he'd passed out. The car stopped.

"Get out of the car." He said, picking something up off the passenger seat.

Roy and Beatrice did so. They leaned Mullet Fingers up on the side of the car. Then he led them over to a bar and told them he had to handcuff them to it.

"It's standard procedure when meeting with the president." He said. Roy eyed him skeptically.

He then blindfolded them without giving a reason. He walked back to Mullet Fingers who was still lying against the car. He reached into his suit and pulled out a black pistol. Hartman loaded it and pointed it at Mullet Fingers's head. He pulled the trigger.

BANG! Something hard hit Agent Hartman in the back of the head. His gun missed Mullet Fingers's head but half an inch. A tall, freckle-faced, blond man had hit him. The man kicked the gun out of Hartman's reach and produced his own and pointed it at Hartman.

"Tell me, after killing my son exactly what did you expect I'd do? Forget about it? Hm?" The man asked.

"I-I-I only did w-what M-M-Mr. Viseige asked me to d-d-d-do." Stammered Hartman.

"Agent Hartman? What's going on?" Beatrice called.

Hartman didn't answer, he was staring worriedly at the pistol aimed at his head. The man kicked Hartman in the head with his boot and knocked him unconscious. He then ran over and released Roy and Beatrice.

"Who are you? What did you do to Agent Hart-"

"That is not Hank Hartman, he's an imposter working under the Vice President." The man cut over her.

He went over to Mullet Fingers and was about to untie the bandages on his ankle when Beatrice stepped in his way.

"Get out of my way." He said darkly.

"No." Beatrice replied.

"_Please_ get out of my way. My son needs medical attention, and I'm afraid if you refuse to let me help him I will have to render you unconscious." The man said simply.

"You aren't touching my brother." She said.

The man let out a sigh, reached into his pocket, then pulled his hand out and flicked some sand in Beatrice's face. The next moment, she was lying on top of Mullet Fingers's legs. The man moved her. Roy stepped forward.

"Please don't make me do that again, sleep-sand is very hard to come by these days and I'd rather not waste it." He said.

When Roy did nothing, the man undid the bandages on Mullet Fingers's ankle. Blood began oozing instantly. The man examined it for a second, then took off his glove and pressed his index finger on the top of the wound and slowly ran it down the incision. Roy was amazed, the injury had vanished! The man put his glove back on and shook hands with Roy.

"Travis Bridger," he said ", but you can call me Trav."


	17. Trav's Tale

Yes, I meant to tell you who the person is at the end of this chapter (I know you will ask that if I don't put this, thefirstphoenix...I'm starting to learn how you think!) Enjoy this chapter everyone, a lot is explained here. Please review!

* * *

"Pointless. Bridger has met with his son now, we kill him and the boy will seek to avenge him. We _don't_ want another human rebellion." Said a man in a black suit standing in the dark office of President Gorganzorg.

"What are the odds that the boy will be able to even get here?" Gorganzorg asked.

"We have seen what he is capable of, I assume he could get here if he truly wanted to." Said the man.

"What if we kidnaped the boy and brought him here, to the tower. That may lure Bridger into Earthopolis and not have to deal with that fool, Viseige." Gorganzorg suggested.

"No. The last thing I want is Bridger running around here again. Especially when he has reason to believe we're mistreating his son. No, we will stay true to my original plan. _Both_ the boy and Bridger must die. Accomplish that, Gorganzorg, and there may some hope for you yet."

President John Kresc walked down the narrow hallway aboard Air Force One. He was thinking about what he would say if he saw Travis again.

_Hello would probably suffice._ Travis's voice rang inside his head.

He'd seen Travis about ten years ago, he'd come for a quick visit, and the president, or senator at that time, had no idea what to say. He was only with his best friend for a few minutes before Travis vanished again. It was only after that meeting that Kresc remembered what he'd wanted to say to his friend. He stopped and sat down in a vacant seat by a window. He looked out at the clouds below the plane. So peaceful. He remembered the old days when he, Frankie, Karen and Travis would just lie in the fields and watch them soar by. Those were the days...

"Mr. President!" Someone shouted.

John Kresc flinched as his mind returned to the present. A Secret Service agent ran over and pulled the president out of his seat.

"What the hell-"

"GET DOWN SIR!" He shouted, tackling the president.

Kresc was about to shout at the agent when suddenly-

BANG! Flames erupted around as a missile hit Air Force One. The president was deafened by screaming, shouting and explosions. He felt the agent one top of him's body go limp just before he blacked out...

General Hellzan was overseeing the transport of specimen X-12. A large, clear, cylinder was lifted up by a crane. It was filled with water, and in the water was a young boy, according to Hellzan's internal scanner the boy was eighteen. Hellzan was an android. Seven feet tall, his head looked like a sideways ice cream cone. On his face was a black visor and glowing in the middle of it was a red circle. His shoulders were about three meters apart. He had long, machete-like fingers. He wasn't entirely robotic, however. Inside his head was a human brain, with so many wires running through it that Hellzan could hardly call it a human brain anymore.

The boy in the tank was in a deep slumber. He had cords and wires hooked up to him everywhere. President Gorganzorg had said this boy was extremely dangerous and was to be handled with extreme caution. A man in a suit walked up and stood beside Hellzan.

"Any idea why the President is having X-12 moved?" He asked.

"That is neither my business nor my concern." Hellzan said simply.

"Oh come now, Hellzan, you of all people should know how Gorganzorg thinks. He is your creator, is he not?" The man persisted.

"One would assume that he is taking necessary precautions given the current circumstances on planet Earth." Said Hellzan.

"You mean the Travis Bridger problem?" The man asked.

"I do." Hellzan replied.

"Do you think the specimen has some tie to Bridger?" The man asked.

"I do not know, and if I did I assume the information would be classified. You should use caution when, as they say, sticking your nose where it does not belong." Hellzan warned.

"Hmpf. Well whatever the reason is, I'm going to find out." Said the man, crossing his arms.

"Very well. I suggest, then, that you make a private appointment with President Gorganzorg rather than getting others into trouble for discussing classified matters." Hellzan told the man firmly.

The man looked up at the black clouds surrounding the planet. "When is this going to end, Hellzan? Hasn't this planet suffered enough in G Corporation's rise?" The man said.

"If you do not respect the President's choices, Mr. Keen, then perhaps you should take the time to think about where your loyalties lie before you get past the point of no return." Said Hellzan before putting his hands behind his back and strode off.

Mr. Keen had the feeling everything he'd just said was going to be reported to Gorganzorg.

Mullet Fingers sat at that familiar table in Travis's shack. Beatrice and Roy were sitting there too. Mullet Fingers and Beatrice had not witnessed the ride there as they were both unconscious and Travis made Roy swear not to tell how to find the shack. Travis Bridger prepared several warm drinks and handed one to each of the teenagers. He sat down with a mug and sighed.

"Well...where do I begin?" He asked.

Silence. "I suppose I shall start from the very beginning; shortly before Mullet was born. Lonna and I were engaged. We had not planned on having a child, though I can't say I didn't welcome it, I knew Lonna would never willingly get pregnant. But then, shortly after she became pregnant with Mullet, I was suddenly called away. There was an urgent problem in a distant land that I needed to attend to. For reasons I cannot explain, I couldn't tell your mother where I was going. At this, she assumed I was abandoning her because she was pregnant. This, I assure you, was not the case. One would assume, Mullet Fingers, that that is the reason why you have led such a horrible and unfortunate life." Said Travis sadly.

Mullet Fingers was silent, staring at the floor. Seeing there were no questions at that point, Travis went on with the story.

"I had made plans for you to lead a happy life, however. I assumed Lonna would put you up for adoption, like she planned for your brother." Said Travis, pausing as he knew there would be an interruption here.

And right on cue, "I have a brother?" Mullet Fingers asked.

"Indeed. Or at least...you did. The last I heard of him he'd died in a lab experiment. But getting back to the story, as I said, I assumed Lonna would put you up for adoption. My good friend, John Kresc, was going to take you in." Said Travis.

"John? The president?" Mullet Fingers asked.

His father smiled. "I should've known. I admit, I would've been surprised if John hadn't contacted you. Now then, where was I? Ah yes...our plan failed. Lonna chose to keep you, for reasons I will likely never know, and remarried. I did some work for a few years, when I was finished I had planned to come back and meet you. But my actions caught up with me. I had meddled with a weapon development company known as "G" Corporation. The president of "G" corp, a man named Gorganzorg; a man insane with power, able to do and get whatever he wants, sought to get revenge on me for setting back an important project of theirs. I was forced into hiding. The president of the time was notified of my actions and the country was watching for me. John was able to help me go dark. For fourteen years, I lived successfully in hiding. You did not live the happy life I had hoped, but you did indeed get by. Gorganzorg got his hands full with some other terrorists and forgot about me completely. It wasn't until a year ago that he finally remembered who I was. He got wind that a boy by the name of Napoleon Bridger Leep had saved some owls from a pancake company. How this news reached him I am unsure, but the point is that Gorganzorg is a clever man. He figured you were related to me in some way and decided the best way to flush me out of hiding was to go after you instead. And it worked. That's how we've come to this predicament." Said Travis.

Still silence. Then, without warning, Mullet Fingers jumped out of his chair and went outside, where the hurricane had subsided. Beatrice got up to go after him but Travis stopped her.

"This is a lot for him to take in...he will get through it, but for now he needs space and time to think." He said.

Mullet Fingers climbed onto the roof of his father's house and looked out at the cloudy sunset. His head was ringing. He had just met his father. He was not at all how Lonna had described him.

_A lousy drunk who doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself. _Lonna's voice rang inside his head.

Then he thought about this Gorganzorg person. He was worried now. Not for himself, but for his friends. Beatrice and Roy had no relation to Travis Bridger; Gorganzorg had no interest in them. It was Mullet Fingers he was after. Suddenly, he felt very isolated. Like he was infected with some contagious disease. He let out a deep sigh and lay back on the roof.

He'd put them in danger. If they got hurt, it was his fault. Gorganzorg was, as Travis had said, able to do and get whatever he wanted. That meant nothing could stand in his way of getting Mullet Fingers dead. Would he kill Roy and Beatrice just to get to Mullet Fingers? Could there really be such a horrible person out there, ready to kill three innocent teenagers just to finish one?

Mullet Fingers leapt off the roof. He couldn't let Roy and Beatrice get hurt because of him.

"Gorganzorg! It's me you're after, not my friends! If you want me then you can come and catch me!" He shouted at the scarlet sky.

He then ran off into the woods.

Meanwhile, sitting at his desk, Gorganzorg was watching Mullet Fingers on a screen.

"Myes. Run, run as fast as you can, Mullet Fingers. You can't escape me." He mused.

Back in the woods, Mullet Fingers ran into a small clearing and sat down on a stump. He was out of breath. He'd gone at least half a mile.

"Poor boy. Poor, unfortunate boy. A danger to others, even himself." Drawled a voice from behind.

Mullet Fingers leapt up and whirled around. A man in a grey suit with long silver hair stood in the woods.

"Who the hell are you?" Mullet Fingers demanded.

"A friend. A man who understands you. Listen, I am not here to harm you; I only want to help you. Right now, you feel isolated, like a virus. And infectious, cursed individual with the burden of inflicting a death sentence on those he loves and cares about." Said the man, striding over.

Mullet Fingers lightened up a bit. "You...understand me?" He asked. Not many people did.

"Why of course! I too was a runaway, a delinquent, an infectious virus. I know exactly how you feel." Said the man.

Mullet Fingers couldn't explain it, he felt drawn to the man, as if he knew him from somewhere before. Suddenly, a large purple sphere erupted out of nowhere. The man held out his hand.

"Come with me, to a world where you belong. A world where your friends will not be in danger." Said the man.

Mullet moved towards him. He walked into the portal, followed by the man. A horrid smirk curled across the man's face as Mullet Fingers disappeared into the portal.

"Perhaps _I _can ensure the success of that fool, Viseige." Muttered Gorganzorg as he followed his prey into the portal.


	18. Into Earthopolis!

Another short chapter. The story is almost finished. No more than three or four chapters left. I will be going on to a sequel after, don't worry, the adventures of Mullet Fingers and his friends aren't going to end that quickly!

* * *

A G Corporation guard walked down the deserted corridors of Earthopolis Heavy Detainment Compound One. He was the only guard on duty in sector 10. Not a good sign. He was taking deep breaths as he walked up and down the corridor; peering into each of the tanks. In every tank was a person, hooked up to all kinds of wires and cables. To ease his nerves, he was muttering the numbers on each tank to himself.

"...X-Nine...X-Ten...X-Eleven...X-Twel- oh no." the guard said as he came to a stop at an empty tank.

Specimen X-Twelve was not in his tank. There was water on the floor around it. The guard stood rooted to the spot in front of the tank. There was a sign labeled "Extremely Dangerous" on the bottom of the tank. The guard gulped and raised his gun. Then he heard a quiet noise. He froze and strained his ears to be able to tell what it was.

_Pat pat...pat pat...pat pat._ Then he realized what it was, but by then it was to late. He felt the looming presence behind him. Slowly, he turned around. Standing behind him was a tall boy with bright green eyes, very long blond hair, pale white skin, grimy looking clothes and bare feet. Specimen X-Twelve. The guard backed up against the wall.

"S-stop, I'm armed." He said frantically.

X-Twelve rolled his eyes and advanced on the guard. "Did you hear me? G-get back! Now!" Said guard, trying to raise his voice.

The boy ignored the raised gun and put his hand over the guard's mouth. The guard tried to pull the trigger but was paralyzed with fear. The boy's hands were cold and clammy. The guard struggled frantically but it was no use...

Meanwhile, miles away, at G Corporation HQ, Mullet Fingers was sitting, alone, in an empty room. The man had tricked him. It turned out that the person he'd met in the woods had been Gorganzorg. He'd been such an idiot. At the moment, he was eavesdropping on a shouting match taking place in the room above.

"HE WAS BEING KEPT IN AND EXTREMELY HIGH SECURITY COMPOUND! HOW THE HELL DID HE ESCAPE?" A voice shrieked.

"Please sir, we made an error in our staff hiring, my apologies. We'll have him back within the hour." Gorganzorg's voice came.

"I've heard _that_ before. You told me that two years ago, when Travis Bridger escaped. Did you get him back, Gorganzorg? Hm?" The other voice asked furiously.

"Be reasonable, Zidian. I've issued a planet-wide alert for the boy, he is to be killed upon sight." Said Gorganzorg.

"KILLED? _Killed!_ Do you have any idea how much damage that would cause? Why the hell would we have kept him prisoner for the last eighteen years only to kill him when he escaped? I want him found. I want him alive and I want Travis Bridger dead." Said Zidian's voice.

"Consider it done."

Beatrice met Roy back at Travis's shack. "I couldn't find him anywhere." She reported.

"Neither could I." Said Roy.

"I'm worried, it's not like him to disappear when there's trouble." Said Beatrice.

"You don't think Gorgan-whatever got him, do you?" Roy asked anxiously.

"Hey, who're they?" Beatrice asked suddenly.

Two men in suits were standing outside Travis's small shack. "Roy Eberhardt and Beatrice Leep?" One of them asked.

"Yeah." Said Beatrice.

They opened the door for them. Inside was Travis and- the President of the United States? The two were sitting at the table, talking in undertones. Beatrice and Roy joined them at the table.

"Beatrice, Roy, this is John Kresc, he's a friend of mine." Said Travis.

Roy shook hands with Kresc. Roy shook hands with the President!

"We couldn't find him anywhere." Said Beatrice.

Travis sighed. "It's as I feared. Gorganzorg's taken him. John, we've got to, there's no other way." Travis said.

Kresc hesitated. "Alright, fine. But maybe you should explain to the kids about where Gorganzorg and his corporation is first." He said.

"Right. G Corporation isn't on planet Earth. In fact, it isn't even in this world. It's in a different dimension. A city called Earthopolis. It's a clone of our world only dead. Gorganzorg is the one to blame for that. Caused too much pollution. The atmosphere dissolved, the planet was engulfed in acid green clouds. The oceans dried up, all wildlife died, nature withered away. The entire planet is one huge, hi-tech city." Said Travis.

"But...it's impossible for anyone to live there then. No atmosphere." Said Roy who'd learned that topic a few days ago in science class.

"Smart boy. True, there was concern for the lives of Earthopolis's citizens when the atmosphere was on it's last legs. But Gorganzorg is a genius. He ordered the construction of the A.A.S.T.'s. Artificial Atmospheric Stabilization Towers. Massive towers. It took ten of them to reconstruct the entire atmosphere. And that's how Gorganzorg controls his citizens. He was the off switch for those towers in his office. He works from a building in a section of Earthopolis called the Central Expanse. If the towers go offline for any reason a shield goes up around the entire Central Expanse and protects Gorganzorg and his employees. He has the power to control an entire planet in the palm of his hand." Said Kresc.

"So...Mullet's in Earthopolis?" Beatrice asked.

"One would assume so. Gorganzorg's army is not human, they're cybernetic life forms, meaning he can't bring them here. And I know from experience that Gorganzorg never travels far without his personal guard. If he did come to get Mullet, he wouldn't have stayed long." Said Travis.

"So how're we getting there then?" Roy asked.

Travis and Kresc exchanged unsure looks. "That's what we've been debating. We have the technology for Inter-Dimensional travel but we're hesitant to use it." Said Kresc.

Beatrice stood up. "Why are you hesitating? Mullet's stuck in some far off world! He's your son! I say we bust into G Corporation HQ and get my stepbrother back. It's like Mullet always says 'we gotta start thinking like outlaws'." Said Beatrice.

Travis jumped up. "Spoken like my son's true stepsister!" He said.

Roy got up too and stood next to them. "That makes three of us." He said.

Kresc smiled and got up. "Four. Now come on, let's go show Gorganzorg just who he's messing with!"


	19. Zidian Takes Control

Almost over! One chapter left...maybe two. Enjoy, there's a big twist in this chapter.

* * *

Mullet Fingers screamed in pain as one of Gorganzorg's robot soldiers tortured him. The president of G Corporation himself was standing with his arms folded overseeing the torture, chuckling to himself at Mullet Fingers's suffering. Suddenly, the door burst open and a man in a black suit, with long black hair and black eyes entered. 

"Gorganzorg? What the _hell,_ may I ask, are you doing?" He snapped. Mullet Fingers recognized the man's voice as the other shouting voice from earlier.

"Enjoying the prisoner." Said Gorganzorg simply.

Zidian wrapped his hand around Gorganzorg's throat and pinned him against the wall.

"And just what the bloody hell is that supposed to mean? He's not a prisoner, he's a hostage and got damn it, Gorganzorg, you are going to treat him like a prince he has served his purpose." Said Zidian furiously.

"Very. . .well." Gorganzorg gasped.

Zidian released Gorganzorg, then sent him out. "Release him." Zidian snapped at the guards.

They did so and as they were taking him back to his cell, Mullet Fingers looked up at Zidian and said quietly: "Thanks."

The man smirked. For a second, Mullet Fingers thought it was a friendly, victorious smirk. But he was proven wrong when the man raised his hand the guards stopped. Zidian knelt down, put his hand on his shoulder and looked Mullet Fingers dead in the eye.

"Make no mistake, boy, I'm not _on your side_. With torture there is a risk of shock and with shock there is a risk of death. And we certainly can't have you dying before your father. But rest assured, you will both meet the same end." Said Zidian.

He then punched Mullet Fingers square in the chest, knocking the air out of him.

"Get him out of my sight." Zidian snapped at the guards.

Travis, John, Beatrice and Roy all stood in an abandoned alley, staring at G Corporation Tower off in the distance. It probably the tallest tower Roy had ever seen. It was a vertical cylinder with a huge red G with an X through it on the front. There were spotlights shining on it. Behind them was an even taller tower. An A.A.S.T. At least a mile wide, Roy couldn't even see the top. Travis grinned as the two teenagers looked up at it in awe.

"My first trip here; I rewired some cables in that A.A.S.T. to make it appear offline. Sent the shields up around the Central Expanse. Gorganzorg's army was getting reprogrammed at the time so they were all in there and couldn't get out. The Human Resistance Faction and I caused havoc all over Earthopolis and all Gorganzorg could do was sit up in his tower and watch." He said.

It was at that point that Beatrice truly believed Travis was Mullet's father. The proud look in his eye as he explained his life-risking task as though it were a sport. Beatrice saw where Mullet Fingers got it all from.

Travis pointed to G Corporation Tower. "They should be holding him there." He said.

"What? My brother's in _there_?" Beatrice asked.

"If Gorganzorg is smart, yes." Said Travis.

"How do we even know he's still alive?" Roy asked.

He received dirty looks from the other three. "Gorganzorg's main objective is doing _me_ in. I don't see why he would go to the trouble of kidnaping my son to lure me into Earthopolis only to flush it down the drain by killing him. Well actually, Gorganzorg would probably do that, but not with Zidian breathing down his neck." Said Travis.

"You think Zidian's involved with this too?" Kresc asked.

"I'm sure of it. This plan seems to intricate to be Gorganzorg's work. And if it is Zidian behind this, then Mullet won't be touched until he knows I'm dead." Said Travis.

"And who's Zidian?" Roy asked.

"If you ask anyone in G Corporation, they'll tell you he's Gorganzorg's advisor." Said Travis.

"But he's not?" Beatrice asked.

"No. He's to smart for that job. He rules G Corporation with Gorganzorg as his scapegoat. He designs and programs the cyborg army, the A.A.S.T.'s, everything in this city. He's a genius. Gorganzorg is an idiot, without Zidian this company would crumble. Zidian knows better than to kill Mullet before he feels my cold dead wrist himself." Said Travis.

"Fine, then how exactly are we going to get in there?" Beatrice asked impatiently.

Travis made a familiar, mischievous grin. One that usually meant trouble for Beatrice and Roy whenever they saw it on Mullet Finger's face.

"First, we're going to hot-wire one of those tanks." He said, pointing to a line of empty tanks lined up on one of the abandoned streets "Then, we're going to drive right through the G Corporation HQ gates- no, not just the gates, the front doors of Gorganzorg's precious tower. Then, John and I will provide cover while Roy and Beatrice secure the elevator." Said Travis.

"How're we going to find him though? Look how tall that tower is, there must be like a hundred floors!" Said Roy.

"One hundred and twenty-five to be precise. Mullet's on the one hundred and twenty-fourth. Right below Gorganzorg's office. I know that from experience." Said Travis.

They began moving towards the tank. Travis stood for a moment.

"John, do you think Zidian is going to-"

"Travis no! Do you remember the last time you tried to trust Zidian? You almost died!" Kresc snapped.

"Zidian made a mistake. The man's a genius, John, do you really think he'll make that mistake again?" Travis asked.

"Yes, Travis, I do. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he killed you himself to be honest. He isn't the man you knew, his mind is twisted. He's heartless. He'll kill all of us if you give him the chance to. _Don't_ trust him." Said Kresc sternly.

"The Zidian I know is still in there somewhere. I'm going to get him back." Said Travis.

"Let's focus on getting your son back first."

Meanwhile, Zidian stood by the window in Gorganzorg's office, staring out it.

"They're hijacking one of your tanks." He informed Gorganzorg.

"Why?" Gorganzorg demanded.

"I'm a telesight, Gorganzorg, not a telepath." Zidian said coldly.

Telesight was a very rare gift. The wielder of the gift had the ability to see as far as most telescopes on command.

"I'll alert the army." Said Gorganzorg.

"No. Let Bridger come. He'll be easier to kill if he's on our turf." Said Zidian.

"Well I'm sorry but it's my corporation and I shall make the decisions." Said Gorganzorg.

Suddenly, Zidian pulled a pistol out of his suit and shot Gorganzorg in the shoulder. He stalked over.

"This is _my_ corporation. My apologies, Gorganzorg, but you've pestered me for too long." Said Zidian before shooting Gorganzorg in the head.


	20. It's All Over

Here it is, the final chapter. I still have to finish the epilogue, which should be up sometime tonight. This is a depressing ending, but if you're in the mood for happy then I suggest you read "They Never Learn" which is my new and happier Hoot story. Enjoy! And by the way, big thanks to a didicated fan for assisting with the ideas for the ending. If you don't like it then go bitch at him.

* * *

Zidian shot the twos guards outside Mullet Fingers's cell and ran in. He unchained Mullet Fingers. 

"Come on, we're getting out of here." He said, dragging Mullet Fingers by the wrist.

They ran to the elevator and got in. Zidian pressed the button for the roof.

Travis was at the wheel of the tank as they tore through the gates of G Corporation tower. Beatrice screamed. Roy ducked. Travis laughed. G Corp. Cyborgs shot at the tank, which was bullet proof. They were going extremely fast.

CRASH! Through the doors of the G Corporation tower.

"Roy, Beatrice, secure the elevator!" Travis shouted, pulling out a pistol and leaping out of the vehicle.

President Kresc did the same. Beatrice and Roy leapt out of the tank and ran as fast as they could to the elevator. Guns were firing from all directions.

Meanwhile, Zidian pounded the button in the elevator with Mullet Fingers.

"Come on, _come on_!" He shouted at it "Screw this." He said suddenly, raising his pistol and shooting the control panel.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. He dragged Mullet Fingers quickly through the crowded office and to locked door. He shot his gun in the air.

"UNLOCK THIS DOOR!" He shouted at the frightened employees.

Two men ran over and used their keycards to open it. The door led onto a small deck outside the tower. Mullet Fingers looked nervously down at the city miles below them. Zidian pulled him to a ladder and ordered him to go up first.

Meanwhile, Travis, Kresc, Beatrice and Roy were moving slowly but surely up the floors in the elevator.

"Mullet's going to be okay. . .isn't he?" Beatrice asked worriedly.

"If he isn't, then Zidian's going to have _me_ to answer to." Said Travis.

"Everything will be alright, don't worry." Said Kresc in a reassuring tone.

Mullet Fingers finally made it to the top of the tower; Zidian was right behind him. There was another tower up top, a smaller one. Zidian told him to go to it, but Mullet didn't listen. Instead, he whirled around and kicked Zidian, who dropped his gun. Zidian threw a punch at Mullet Fingers and hit him in the jaw. While Mullet was recovering, Zidian made a grab for his gun. Mullet Fingers lunged forward and kicked the gun away.

Travis and the others burst into Gorganzorg's office. No Mullet Fingers. No Zidian. All that remained was Gorganzorg's body, sprawled on the G Corporation logo on the floor.

"My god." Said Kresc.

"Where's my stepbrother?" Beatrice asked frantically.

"Shit! They've gone to the roof, Zidian's trying to get away!" He said, bolting out of the room, closely followed by the others.

Zidian hit Mullet Fingers in the mouth again. His lip was bleeding now.

"You can't win, boy, I'm out of your league." Shouted Zidian over the noise of the city.

"I'll show you!" Mullet Fingers shouted, running at him again.

Back in the tower, Travis and the others were hurrying to the door that led to the roof.

"Out of the way if you want to live!" Travis shouted as he ran through the crowded office.

The door to the roof was already unlocked when they got there. They ran out and started climbing the ladder.

On the roof, Zidian was now lying on the edge of the tower. Mullet Fingers stood over him. Then, without a word, Mullet Fingers kicked him off the side. He turned to go back to the ladder and walked right into his father.

"Dad!" He cried.

"You're all right!" Travis said happily, pulling Mullet Fingers into a tight hug.

When his father released him, Travis filled him in on where they were and what was going on. They turned to go back inside when suddenly-

PANG! "Mullet, get down!" Shouted Travis, who pushed him out of the way.

The bullet hit Travis square in the back. Mullet Fingers whirled around to see Zidian, standing with his pistol still pointed at Travis.

"Zidian. . ." Travis said, sounding heartbroken.

And there, Travis Bridger died in his son's arms. Zidian smirked, then said "Dreadfully sorry I can't stay to end your meaningless life too, but I've got a chopper to catch." And then with a little bow, he turned and ran off towards the smaller tower on the roof of G Corporation tower.

Mullet Fingers was shaking. "Mullet. . .don't do anything-" but before the words were even out of Beatrice's mouth, Mullet Fingers grabbed his father's pistol and ran after Zidian.

"COME BACK HERE YOU SON OF A BITCH!" He shouted.

"Mullet no! He'll kill you too!" Beatrice shouted from behind him.

Mullet Fingers ignored her. He had to catch Zidian. He had to make him pay. _He had to!_ The threw open the door of the tower and began running up the spiral staircase. Zidian sent two Cyborg soldiers to stall Mullet Fingers. Then, a gunshot came from behind him. John Kresc stood with his pistol raised.

"Let me handle these. Napoleon, you must catch Zidian, you _cannot_ let him get away." The president said.

Mullet Fingers nodded and pushed past the robots.

Beatrice, meanwhile, found another way up the tower and hurried up. She reached the top before any of the others and found herself standing on a helicopter pad. Suddenly, the door opened and Zidian rushed out. He smiled when he saw her.

Mullet Fingers felt as though he would collapse. He was exhausted, yet still he ran as fast as his feet would take him. He burst out onto the helicopter pad, only to find Zidian standing in the center with Beatrice. He was pointing a gun at her head.

_No_! Thought Mullet Fingers.

A helicopter was circling the tower.

"Now I shall give you two choices, boy." Said Zidian with a horrid smirk "You can save your dear sister's life by putting that gun on the ground _or_ you can kill me and your sister too. The decision is yours, and I warn you, boy, my patience is not to be tried."

Mullet Fingers instinctively dropped his gun. He couldn't let anything happen to Beatrice. Zidian grinned, baring his horrid yellow teeth.

"Good boy." He said.

Then suddenly, he shot Beatrice and the waist and threw her down.

"NOOOOO!" Shouted Mullet Fingers, running towards her.

Then Zidian shot him. Both feet and his legs. Mullet Fingers fell the ground, writhing in agony. Zidian stalked over to him and picked him up by the throat.

"You cannot kill-"

Suddenly, a huge purple sphere opened and an army of soldiers with the letters "U.D." on their chests rushed out. Each armed with huge weapons.

"Zidian Zed, you are under arrest by order of Chancellor Gainslough of the United Dimensions. Put your weapon down and your hands in the air." One of them shouted.

Mullet Fingers saw Zidian's gun drop to the ground beside him. The look of horror on his face was priceless. The men rushed over and handcuffed him.

Mullet Fingers pulled himself over to his stepsister and put his hand on hers. She looked at him, tears streaming down her face.

"Every things going to be alright now, isn't it?" She said softly.

"Yeah, it is." Said Mullet Fingers.


	21. Epilogue

In the end, Mullet Fingers and Beatrice fully recovered from their injuries. Roy and President Kresc both suffered only minor wounds. Directly after being treated, President Kresc went on the news and told the public everything. Zidian, G Corporation, Travis Bridger, Gorganzorg . . .everything. He also mentioned Mullet Fingers. His appalling treatment at home, his father's death, having to live in the wild, basically all there was to tell about him.

". . .There isn't a single person on this planet that I admire more than that boy. The courage and strength that he has showed during his life should mean something to all of us. To appreciate everything we have in life. And in conclusion, I would like to say that if it so happens that I am removed from office for my affiliations with Travis Bridger during the period of time in which he was known as a terrorist, I will leave the office willingly, knowing that I did what I did because he was my friend. That should mean something to all of us. Friendship is more important to me than anything in this world. That is all I have to say. Thank you for your time America." Said Kresc as the cameras went off.

Mullet Fingers was removed from the care of Lonna Leep and put up for adoption. He was adopted only hours later by the Eberhardts. He was due to start school after the Christmas holidays. John Kresc was not removed from office. In fact, people protested to even the thought of removing him. He was said to be one of the most popular presidents in the history of the United States.

Zidian was taken to an extremely high security prison in another Dimension. It turned out that Earthopolis was not the only other Dimension out there. In fact, there was a massive network of them. It was governed by the United Dimensions or the U.D. Zidian was a wanted terrorist in the Inter-Dimensional Network. Mullet Fingers, John, Roy and Beatrice were all sworn to secrecy about the Network. In his speech, Kresc said that G Corporation was in a hidden region and didn't go into details.

Coconut Cove was repaired from the damage the hurricane caused. And finally, everything seemed to be getting back on track.

Mullet Fingers, Beatrice and Roy all walked down the street of Coconut Cove. It was a cold winter's morning. They walked to that all-to-familiar corner of East Oriole and Woodbury and stared in. The owls popped up and looked at them.

"Do you think we can all just settle down now? No more Inter-Dimensional battles or anything?" Beatrice asked hopefully.

Mullet Fingers frowned and shook his head. He pointed at a large sign above the empty lot.

**Future home of the new Coconut Cove International House of Pancakes (IHOP)**

"Looks like our work is never done." Said Mullet Fingers.

"Hey," said Roy "It's just another adventure."


End file.
